


Diamonds in the Dust

by I_Desire_No_Mans_Pity



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M, High School, M/M, SU - Freeform, Steven Universe - Freeform, steven universe fanfiction, su fanfic, su human au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2018-09-22 23:17:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 104,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9629489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Desire_No_Mans_Pity/pseuds/I_Desire_No_Mans_Pity
Summary: An uproar arises between the students of East Delma High when Principal Dewey announces they're broke and that the Diamond Industries are taking over and turning it into a private school, meaning most of them won't be able to stay. To make matters worse, the three chairwomen of the Diamond Industries are sending their daughters to the same school, making two worlds clash: on one end we have the gang of street smart kids (including Jasper, Amethyst, Ruby and many others) and on the other end, the rich newcomers (Pearl, Lapis, Sapphire, Blue Pearl and Yellow Pearl). Will they ever be able to get along?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm back with the fanfics. I'm really happy as I've been stuck for a while, basically because school is hard. So I decided to lay aside what I had and start something new that has been in my head for a while.
> 
> Just to make a few things clear, this is a human AU so I probably won't be using any fusions. But who knows, it might happen. Just, if I use Ruby and Sapphire, Garnet is probably not going to appear. Furthermore, I had to give Blue and Yellow Pearl different names in order to differenciate them better. Blue's name is Akoya Blue and Yellow is Jinju. Akoya is a Japanese pearl type and "Jinju" means pearl in Korean. I wanted to use Asian languages as they are my speciality, but also it's really hard to translate "pearl" in any of the languages we know well, as it mostly uses the same root. 
> 
> Also, Lapis and Blue Pearl are twins here.
> 
> As for the "maturity", I'd say (for my usual readers) it's like my other fic, "Roommates", so not very explicit but very present. Might use some language as well, but I'll probably try to keep it mild. For the rest, it's gonna be quite safe.
> 
> Well, I do hope you like it!!! This fic is mainly JasPearl, but Lapidot will happen because hey, it's me writing it... And Rupphire. For the rest, I don't want to spoil. I just hope you enjoy this. Thanks for being awesome and have a wonderful day!!!
> 
> Main Tumblr: http://saranghaezz501.tumblr.com  
> Lapidot Tumblr: http://lapidot-rainbowquartz.tumblr.com  
> Jasper Tumblr: http://brecciated-jasper.tumblr.com  
> Pearl Meets World Fanficiton Tumblr: http://pearl-meets-world-su-fanfiction.tumblr.com  
> Art and Cosplay Tumblr (collab): https://numa-art-and-cosplay.tumblr.com  
> Official Fanfiction Tumblr: https://i-desire-no-mans-pity.tumblr.com (this one is kinda new)  
> Official Fanficition Twitter: https://twitter.com/Renegade_Porl (also kind of new, supposedly informs you when I post stuff)

**Prologue**

**F** rom the far end of the street a car could be heard, coming closer and closer as the tires turned over the noisy gravel. The old battered thing came to a halt in front of the dark grey wall that surrounded the school, and the driver honked without mercy at the small group standing nearby.

“Amethyst!!!” Ruby covered her ears and groaned loudly while the purple haired driver laughed and popped a bubblegum bubble.

“What’s wrong, Ruby? Is my horn too awesome for you?”

“Ew.” Jenny Pizza, who was in the passenger’s seat, hit Amethyst with her purse. “That’s nasty!”

“Who said I meant it like that?” Amethyst jumped out of the car and walked towards the group, high-fiving Buck and Sour Cream. “Sup.”

The small gang had gone to the same school for years and knew each other well. They had all been born in the small suburbs of East Delmarva, nicknamed ‘East Delma’ by the population, and they had grown into tough, street-smart teenagers who feared nothing and got into the worst of trouble. Their school barely had a reputation and only the strongest of teachers were able to control the students there. Filling them with knowledge and sending them off to college seemed to be the least of their troubles; most teachers were just glad when the classes were over. The students hardly paid any attention and defied the authority, which got them into detention most of the schoolweek and sometimes even on Saturdays. There was no knowing how the kids would react the following day so the teachers didn’t bother talking to them about their possible problems; they just limited themselves to act like generals and give strict orders, as they believed it was the only way to control them. There few teachers whose classes everyone loved and they didn’t have to shout for their attention. The students sighed for those classes during the week whilst they slept or created ruckus during the other ones.

“I hope we have gym today, so that we can sneak off and smoke some.” Sour Cream rummaged through his pocket. “I brought good stuff.”

“Don’t you even know the timetable?” Kiki Pizza, Jenny’s younger sister, pulled out her notebook and shoved it in front of Sour Cream’s nose. “Or are you too stoned to remember? No gym today, sunshine.”

“Oh.” Sour Cream seemed lost in his own thoughts.

“Kiki, please… we all know you’re the only one who keeps up.” Jenny groaned, pulling the rim of her shirt down. “I mean, come on! You were even placed up into our grade because you’re the only one who actually studies in this school…”

Kiki went red and looked away, making them laugh.

“Dear Kik.” Buck smiled. “The only reason we all manage to pass our tests is because you let us peek. I will remember that when I become a billionaire and place a statue of you in my enormous garden…”

Everyone laughed, including Kiki.

“Please!” Amethyst snorted. “You? A billionaire?”

“It could happen…”

But Buck’s attempts to defend himself were cut short by the gang moving inside the school yard and walking towards the entrance, along with the rest of their class. As they walked up the steps, Ruby paused.

“Ruby?” Kiki said, sternly. “What did you bring?”

“I… um… just my…” The small girl searched through her pockets, nervously.

“You better not have any of them kitchen knives on you.” Amethyst growled. “We all got detention ‘cause you made it look like we agreed on it.”

Ruby went red and started looking around nervously as the students streamed through the metal detector. The guard looked at her, suspiciously.

“Ruby.” He said. “Give them to me.”

Reluctantly, Ruby pulled out a pocket knife and handed it to the guard, ready to step through the detector.

“And the other one.” The guard went on.

The small teen growled and removed a shaving blade from her sock.

“If I get robbed, you’re paying for my losses.” She hissed, as she walked through the detector, all clean.

Amethyst and the others were waiting for her at the other end.

“Told you, idiot.” Kiki smiled. “Now let’s get to class before it gets too late.”

With a nod of agreement, the gang followed the youngest of the Pizza sisters through the hallway and up the mouldy stairs that led to their classroom. As they came in and took their usual seats at the back of the class, they noticed something was off.

Their usual teacher and mentor Vidalia was waiting next to her desk and beside her stood Principal Dewey and Vice Principal Maheswaran. They looked rather nervous and hardly seemed to notice the unruly students who sat before them. When everyone had finally calmed down, they snapped out of their small trance and Principal Dewey started speaking.

“My fellow students.” He said, pompously as always, but lacking the same energy he usually had. Amethyst and Jenny stared at each other, wondering what was wrong. “I come with news which you will find disturbing but I’m afraid we can’t do anything about it.”

“Are we broke?” Sadie, a small blonde girl in the front piped up.

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Principal Dewey muttered and the whole class looked at each other. “We can’t keep paying the rent, it’s too high. You see, these grounds belong to the Diamond Industries and we can’t keep up with their demands, so we’ve been offered a way out. The three chairmans will be working together on a new project: fixing this school up and turning it into an elite high school with a prestigious curriculum. It will become wonderful, I’m sure.”

The whole class was muttering and sudden shouts of protest went off.

“But wait!” Ronaldo, a bespectacled kid sitting in the front row with Sadie stood up and frowned. “Does this mean we’ll have to pay?”

“Yeah!” Lars, a thin boy on the other side stood up as well. “Will this school turn private or whatever?”

Dewey shared a concerned look with Vidalia and Vice Principal Maheswaran.

“I’m afraid so.” Vidalia stepped in, earning herself more shouts of protest. “There’s nothing we can do about it; we don’t control the money here… It’s just the way it is.”

The class was in an uproar. None of the teachers were able to control the outburst that news had provoked.

“They can’t do that!” Jenny said. “They can’t bring their rich asses in here and start doing as they please…”

“Actually, they can.” Sadie sighed.

“The school will give you time until the summer to arrange something.” Dewey went on, as the protests grew louder. “But in the meantime, work will be done, walls shall be painted, proper gyms and auditoriums will be built and the whole system will be changed under the Diamond’s wishes. You will be allowed to stay while this goes on and follow the classes until the year ends. You can even stay on if your family can afford it. You will also have the possibility to enter in a scholarship. But all that will be explained tomorrow in the Assembly Hall when the charimans themselves come here to explain.”

Amethyst shot a devastated look at Ruby as they both knew how terrifying this was. The gang would be split in schools all over the town and they would hardly see each other.

“What’s more.” Miss Maheswaran continued, checking her clipboard and clicking anxiously with her pen. “The children of the chairmans are assisting this school from tomorrow on, as their parents think it’s a good training for them. They will be able to observe the takeover by themselves.”

“Shit man, are we gonna have to share our school with pompous rich kids?” Lars brawled. “Flaunting their watches and Guccis and reminding us every day that we’re gonna get kicked out while they take golden showers?”

Everyone went quiet.

“Lars, _golden showers_ aren’t the words you were looking for.” Sadie hissed after an uncomfortable silence.

“Gold. Showers of gold. You know what I mean.”

Amethyst snorted but the rest seemed too shocked by the overall news.

“Anyway.” Miss Maheswaran went on. “I want you to treat them with respect and don’t pull any of your usual stuff on them. If anything happens to those kids, their bodyguards will probably make you pay in a way that’s not legal in this state. So be warned.”

The class looked at her, skeptically. Sadie raised her hand.

“Yes?”

“Well…” She mumbled. “Are they coming in our grade?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact they are.” Vidalia answered. “The eldest daughters are the same age and the youngest has been put a grade up as she’s brilliant, apparently.”

“Oh great.” Jenny looked at her sister. “Another nerd.”

At that moment there was a knock on the door and two other students came in: a short sandy haired girl with thick glasses and a tall dark handsome lad who bore a nasty smirk on his face. They were carrying what seemed to be a pile of books.

“Ah, Peridot and Kevin.” Vidalia smiled. “I see you brought the new books.”

“New and shiny. Just like my car.” Kevin winked at the class and the gang groaned. He was one of the only ones whose family had a bit of cash and he had no trouble reminding them.

“I trust you have informed them already?” Dewey asked Vidalia. She nodded as she placed the new books on her desk.

“Yes, as Head Boy and Girl, they knew beforehand.” She mumbled. “Go have a seat.”

Kevin sat down with a smirk, the news seemed to have delighted him. Peridot slumped down in front of Amethyst who threw an eraser a her.

“Nerd!”

Peridot paid no attention and pulled a notebook out of her bag. Just like Kevin, she would probably be able to afford her stay at the school, so she decided to keep very quiet and hope everyone would ignore here like they usually did.

“I believe we are complete now…” Vidalia smiled. “Wait! Where is Jasper?”

Amethyst looked up.

“Her dad’s sick so she’s looking after the garage for him.”

Vidalia nodded. She often worried about her students and their hard lives, but the teachers weren’t better off. She hoped some of them would be allowed to stay when the new school started.

“Well, that’ll be all.” Dewey walked slowly towards the door, followed by Vice-Principal Maheswaran. “Just see that you are in the Assembly Hall tomorrow morning at eight.” And they left, leaving the class in a total state of disorder. Vidalia held up her hand to calm them down.

“Hey.” She said. “Hey.” They went quiet. “Look, I know this sounds like trouble… but I promise we’ll get through this, together. There’s not much we can do, but if we all work hard, we can get some of you on those scholarships and with some luck, they’ll even let this class finish all their years. You chose this school because it was public and they should respect that, so we’re gonna put up a fight. Don’t give up yet.”

The students nodded in agreement and a few deep sighs were heard.

“But mom.” Sour Cream, Vidalia’s son, looked up. “How do we treat the rich kids?”

Vidalia narrowed her eyes, trying to detect if her son was high again.

“Just be nice and respectful. Offer to help them. Don’t… just don’t act like you normally would towards new kids. Really. I’m begging you.”

“Okay Miss V.” Amethyst smiled. “We’ll try.”  
“Oh you’re gonna do better than try.” Vidalia growled. “Everything’s at stake here. If we make a good impression, me might have a chance.”

“Fine.”

It was a dull day after that short moment of intense uproar. When it was finally over, the gang walked away, glancing back over their shoulders as they got into their respective cars.

“I’m gonna miss this place.” Amethyst muttered. “I mean, it ain’t much but it’s kinda like home… it’s not like we learn stuff or anything but…”

“Yeah.” Buck agreed. “I know.”

They drove away, mournfully, wondering what was waiting for them tomorrow. What would they get to hear at the Assembly? What would the rich kids be like? What on Earth would they be doing one year from now?

Amethyst arrived at her small house after dropping Jenny off and hunted for her charger in her messy room. She found it under an old pizza box and connected her phone so that she could send a text. She was going to tell Jasper the big news.

 


	2. Noble Conflict I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new girls arrive at school and cause a general first impression. So does Jasper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, if you survived the prologe, here's the next chapter for you!!!
> 
> Just a few notes:
> 
> \- Remember the prologe counts as "chapter one" in the system so right now, "chapter two" is the first chapter.  
> \- Giving the "Rich Girls" surnames was a necessary thing in order to avoid confusion, just like altering the first names of Blue and   
>  Yellow Pearl. It may get confusing sometimes, you can always check it back (Pearl -> Pearl Amaranto (Amaranth in Spanish) Yellow   
>  Pearl -> Jinju Ki (Jinju means "Pearl" and Ki means "Yellow"). Blue Pearl -> Akoya Blue Winkle (Akoya is a Pearl Type, Winkle is   
>  derived from Periwinkle). Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire also carry the "Winkle" surname.  
> \- From time to time, certain words will appear in other languages. I will write them down here.  
> \- I really hope you enjoy this chapter and have a wonderful day !!!
> 
> Words in this chapter:
> 
> Brujas - (Spanish: Bruja/s --> Witch/es)
> 
> * Oh and Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! If you have plans, I hope you have a lot of fun. And if you're feeling lonely, don't worry, you can stand on your own feet!! Just think of all the chocolate and sweets that will be on sale tomorrow, that's always been a thing to look forward to!! Someone will come eventually :D

** Chapter One **

** Noble Conflict **

****

**A** ll hopes for a peaceful morning vanished the moment her phone started buzzing nonstop under her pillow. Pearl sat up bold in bed and tore off her sleeping cap, her red curls swinging around her face. She gently adjusted her nightgown’s strap and fumbled under her pillow in order to retrieve her phone, completely saturated by all the texts sent by her friend.

“Oh my stars, Jinju.” She groaned and swiped everything away, searching for the speed dial. She could hear the soft ringing while she waited for her friend to pick up.

“PEARL.” The tall girl held the phone away from her ear with a frown.

“Jinju, you don’t have to scream.”

“Never mind that now!” She seemed really agitated. “Get dressed, we have to take your car.”

“My car?” Pearl sighed. “Why?”

“It’s the biggest, we need to stay together. God knows what they’ll do to us in such a neighborhood…” Jinju’s voice quivered. “Though I’m glad our mothers are making a new school, I do wish we didn’t have to attend just yet. It’s going to be really annoying with all those peasants…”

Pearl sighed again and got out of bed, her feet brushing the soft carpet beneath her. She walked towards her closet and stepped inside, wondering what on Earth she should wear today.

“Pearl. Are you in your closet?” Jinju seemed annoyed.

“Yes…”

“Well get out of the closet and answer me!!!” Her friend seemed to be on the verge of losing her patience but Pearl didn’t mind.

“Yeah yeah… I’ll drive you. I’ll come by your house at eight, after picking up the Winkle sisters.” She pulled at a scarf, absent-mindly. “What should I wear?” But Jinju had hung up.

Pearl Amaranto and Jinju Ki had been friends since kindergarten, as their mothers had been leading the Diamond Industries for many years. They had grown up in the richest of mansions and had been pampered their whole life, attending only the most prestigious of schools and shopping at the best places in town. Reactions like Jinju’s weren’t that strange considering they had never known anything else than living the best of lives. They were used to their mothers taking on large projects like that, but they had never been in a likewise situation themselves. They had never had to attend a public school in the suburbs of East Delma.

Pearl gently pulled on a pair of glossy black pantyhose stockings and she fastened them to one of her garther belts. She wasn’t very fond of them – Jinju was the one who wore them 24/7 – but she could tolerate them if her skirts and dresses covered them, making it seem like she was wearing long pantyhose instead of stockings.

She stared vaguely at her collection of dresses, somehow feeling empty, and chose a canary yellow one that went well with her black boa. She added her velvet black heels to the outfit and stared in the mirror, sighing.

“Why bother?” She muttered to herself. “Don’t pretend you enjoy it. There’s no joy in a new outfit when you can buy them every single day of your live if you wished…”

“Now now, Pearl.” Came a soft voice behind her and the girl jumped. Her mother could creep up on her without noticing and it was quite scary at times.

“Mom…” She hissed.

Pink Amaranto, known as Pink Diamond in the tabloids, was a tall woman with warm brown eyes and long fluffy hair, just as amaranth as her name. Like her daughter, she was wearing a feathery shawl around her neck, but hers was a shade of dark red, just like her dress.

To people who didn’t live in their world of luxury they were like aliens, spreading a very different aura to their own. But as Pearl stared at her mother, she felt overwhelmed, knowing that Pink Diamond had chosen a very specific path in her life and that – as her daughter – Pearl would end up doing the same. She had been born for it.

“Well, you can’t complain for having everything.” Pink laughed, shoving a handbag into her arms. “Here, it came from the dry-cleaner’s.”

“Thanks.” Pearl dropped her phone in it, along with her keys and wallet. She looked at her mother. “I have to go early, I’m picking up the GS.”

Pink shook her head with a smile.

“You’re lucky to have such a wonderful group of friends…” She smiled, stroking her daughter’s hair. “I know it’s hard, going to a new school… But at least you’re going together, huh?”

Pearl looked up, a shadow of a smile on her face.

“Yeah.” She said, with all the energy she could possibly master, and left her room, heading for the marble staircase that led to the front door. As she went through, she stopped for a moment, blinking in the bright sunlight. She took her car keys out of her purse and walked slowly towards the garage.

 

                        *                     *                      *

 

Not far from Pearl, lived the Winkle family, led by Blue Winkle – or, as she was known – Blue Diamond. Their house was the smallest of the three buildings that stood upon the hill, but the word “small” only applied to them in comparison with Pearl and Jinju’s mansions. Any other person would have been delighted to live in the handsome villa with all five swimming pools and large patches of vegetable gardens. Sunflowers surrounded the place, and it looked quite wild, but that’s how Blue liked it. She never really kept with the trends and loved all things nature: she truly was special in that sense.

But she was a nervous wreck and always ran from one part of the house to the other, much unlike her quiet daughters, who weren’t explosive at all.

The eldest were twins, Lapis and Akoya. They looked more like sisters, though, as Lapis was a bit taller and had darker hair. She was also the most talkative of the two, although none of them said much. Akoya was gentler and had a better bond with their younger sister Sapphire, who was the most cheerful in the family.

That morning everyone had woken up early except Lapis, who hated getting out of bed, today more than ever. She detested the idea of attending a new school as much as anyone but also dreaded it beyond measure as she wasn’t very happy about changes. As she came down to breakfast she wondered if she should pretend to be sick, but hearing Sapphire’s eager chatter made her smile and she walked towards the table in the dining-hall.

“Well, look who decided to show up.” Blue narrowed her eyes.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Lapis picked up a piece of toast and started flipping through a folder that was laying on the table. “Is this like… the old school folder?”

“Yes.” Sapphire smiled brightly. “It looks like such a fun school!”

Lapis snorted, showing her the folder depicting a square grey building with small windows.

“Pure aesthetics.” She smiled. “I’m sure we’re going to have the time of our lives there.”

“Yeah!!!” Sapphire exclaimed.

“I was being sarcastic.”

“Lapis Lazuli, be nice!” Blue snapped, pouring herself some coffee. She never ate in the mornings.

“Well, this school sucks.” Lapis growled. “It’s so stupid that we have to go there…”  
“I told you already, you are going to…”

“…to learn about taking on and leading projects! I know!” Lapis exclaimed, making Sapphire and Akoya look up. She slammed on the table with her fist. “But who says I want to be a businesswoman like you, mom? Who says any of us want to be that?”

“Lapis, that’s enough!” Blue said, with barely contained anger.

“No, it’s not! You never think of us! You go around pretending to be such a hippie but in the end you’re just as cold as the others, and you don’t care about us…”

“Lapis!”

“You never think about us! Have you asked Sapphy and Akoya what they want to do with their lives?”

“Lapis Lazuli, that’s enough!” Blue stood up, slapping the table with both hands.

“Have you asked me?” Lapis stood up and walked outside, tears of rage prickling in her eyes. Why was the world so unfair? She went down the steps leading to the front door and looked around, hugging herself. She liked their garden; the flowers and the pools always calmed her down. But she was snapped out of her small moment when a car pulled over outside the gate.

“Ready?” It was Pearl. She looked fabulous as always and Lapis sighed, knowing that nothing could ever get the tall girl down. She could tame any situation by walking head into it and even smiling at the camera while she did that. It wasn’t for nothing that she was their group’s leader.

“Almost.” Came Akoya’s voice behind her and Lapis spun around to find her sisters had followed her. Akoya wrapped a jacket around her shoulders and smiled. “Here, you forgot your things. Let’s go.”

Lapis smiled a little as well and followed her sisters into the back of the car, their usual spot.

“Well, ready or not, we have to do this.” Pearl growled. “Now let’s drive past Jinju.”

“Let’s go for it.” Lapis sighed.

Pearl stepped on the gas and drove just a little bit further, to the third and also largest mansion on the hill. As they came close they could see Jinju standing on the small bridge that went over the lake in her garden. She looked very impressive indeed and Pearl smirked, knowing they all had the talent to make everyone believe they had all the grasp in the situation, even if it wasn’t so. Jinju was the perfect example as she walked down towards the car, a complete serene look on her face. She opened the door and placed herself in the passenger’s seat, next to Pearl.

“Good morning.”

Pearl smiled and took off once more, this time heading for the school. They drove out of the little urbanization where their houses stood and headed towards the highway, taking the East Delma exit.

“Have you guys ever been there?” Akoya asked, softly.

“Never.” Pearl muttered. “Not me at least.”

“Me neither.” Jinju was filing her nails. “I haven’t lost anything there.”

“Well, hey, neither have I but a new school is quite the challenge.” Sapphire smiled brightly. “I mean, everything was so _easy_ at our old school, nothing was really… _hard_.”

Pearl and Jinju laughed and Lapis and Akoya smiled a little.

“Great way of explaining things, Sapphy.” Jinju winked at her.

“But yeah, I know what you mean.” Akoya looked out of the window, mournfully. “When you’re us, nothing is hard in a school led by our mothers.”

“But then again, this school is also led by our mothers.” Pearl sighed. “So nothing’s different, really.”

“That’s what you think; we’re still going to have to deal with their system.” Sapphire opened the folder she had taken with her. “I mean, look… It won’t be until the summer that the school will really change.”  
Jinju sighed dramatically.

“She’s right.” She moaned. “Half a year dealing with peasants until the school is officially rid of them.”

All of them grimaced as the car drove into unknown neighborhoods.

 

                       *                     *                      *

 

Peridot turned around with a worried frown and looked around the assembly hall, wondering where everyone was. How did they even dare to be late to such an important meeting with the chairwomen of the Diamond Industries, who also happened to own the school now?

The small girl was sitting in the front row, huddled on one of the seats like a ball, hugging her knees. As class president, she had taken the responsibility of opening the Assembly Hall and checking if the microphones were working, something she didn’t mind as she was interested in technical things. She didn’t show that often, though, afraid she would be considered even more of a nerd than she already was.

She heard a noise by the door and, to her relief, the first students started streaming in. Most of them took place at the back of the hall but she didn’t mind; eventually someone would have to sit in her row.

Amethyst walked in yawning, Jenny Pizza and Buck Dewey beside her. Ruby followed them closely, muttering about security – something she ran in trouble with on a daily basis – and Kiki and Sour Cream came behind, arguing about homework. Sour Cream often argued about stuff he had no idea of.

“Guys we’re so late… Everyone’s here already.” Jenny wailed. “No seats at the back! Assholes…”

“Yeah like you wouldn’t be sitting at the back.” They heard someone yell.

“It’s cool.” Amethyst walked down towards the first two rows and sat down behind Peridot, who sighed deeply. “I don’t care how close we are to the stage, I’m gonna make fart sounds all the way.”

“Pffft you wouldn’t dare!” Kiki exclaimed.

“Yeah, not if I make MORE fart sounds!” Ruby made an exploding noise in her arm and everyone laughed.

“Alright, Rubs.” Amethyst winked at her. “We gonna fart the crap out of this place.”

A few teachers had already moved towards the stage and were starting to sit down on the chairs that Peridot had left there for them. Amongst them was Vidalia, who looked pretty nervous. She kept twitching her fingers and staring around the Hall, a blank look on her face.

“Psst.” Buck leaned over towards Amethyst, almost squashing Sour Cream in the attempt. “Where’s Jasper?”  
“How should I know?” Amethyst shrugged. “I texted her last night but she just read it…”

“Classic Jasper. Always reading, never answering.” Kiki crossed her arms, a little mad. “When I try to ask about timetables and homework, she’s never there.”

“Yeah well, maybe you shouldn’t ask Jasper about timetables and homework; she’s not exactly top of the class.” Jenny took a filer out of her purse and started doing her nails. “Why do you even ask her when you have me at home, huh?”

“You’re never at home.” Kiki frowned. Jenny rolled her eyes and was about to retort when the sound of the doors banging caught everyone’s attention. Even the teachers were staring transfixed at the door.

“Wow…” Peridot whispered.

Five girls had come through those doors and were walking slowly through the ocean of seats, illuminating the whole hall with their aura. Their hair, their clothes, even their pose showed that they weren’t ordinary at all. They looked alien, like they had stepped out of a different world, and with every move they made, stranger did they seem to those watching.

As they made their way through the small corridor between the seats, in order to reach the front row, the girls formed a line and the tallest went up front. She was pale like the morning light on a snowy day and her red hair was tied up in a bun on top of her head, letting a couple of curls escape and form a fringe around her face. Her eyes were light blue and looked right through whoever was staring. Behind her came the blonde one, with the short hair. Her dark eyes were like two coals on her pale face and her legs were covered by long stockings. She looked quite elegant. The two of them were followed by a couple of girls with similar blue haircuts. They weren’t completely identical, but looked like family. They were both wearing summer dresses with lace and were quite tan. One looked much sterner than the other. The queue was anchored by a younger girl with light hair, almost bluish, who held her composure just as well as the others although she seemed curious and wanted to look around. They all took a seat in the front row, except one of the blue haired twins, who was staring at the back with an irritated expression; she clearly didn’t like being all that near to the stage.

“Lapis!” The red-haired girl hissed and the so-called Lapis walked over, reluctantly claiming the last seat available, next to a gaping Peridot.

The small girl had watched everyone walk down in awe and felt really proud to be sitting next to them. Why, they seemed serious and dignified, much more like her than all those _children_ sitting behind them. She couldn’t help but stare at the blue-haired girl next to her, who was still frowning. She turned around sharply and caught her looking, which made Peridot turn bright red. Her eyes were such an intense shade of blue…

“So are you going to keep gawking at me?” Lapis snapped, making Peridot go white. The small girl tried to answer but no sound came out of her throat, the situation had transfixed her. When she finally opened her mouth to speak, Lapis had already turned away.

Despite the silence that the young ladies had caused, a rumor of uneasiness started spreading around the Assembly Hall when the side doors opened and three tall figures stepped on stage, creating a shadow over the teachers. The tallest of them, who also seemed like the fiercest, walked towards the stand up microphone on stage. She had golden hair that bobbed up at the sides of her face and very dark eyes.

“That must be blondie’s mom.” Amethyst hissed.

“Welcome, students and staff, to the first official meeting between the Diamond Industries and this school.” The woman said, in a low clear voice that reminded Amethyst of some cartoonish villain. “As you all know, East Delmarva High will soon become Diamond Delmarva High, an elite school with the mission to create strong, independent and successful young people ready to take on the world of business.”

Jenny snorted rather loudly, making a few heads turn.

“Yeah.” She said through clenched teeth. “You mean a school for the rich.”

“It isn’t our intention to make anyone leave.” The woman went on, a small smile appearing on her lips. Peridot – in the front row – cringed, for it made her feel real uneasy. “If you can adapt to the new fees, you will be welcome to stay. If you have an amazing talent and make the cut, you will be welcome to stay. If you prove you have something to contribute…” She paused and looked away with a laugh. “You will be welcome to stay.” Her eyes went back to the teachers, who looked a bit vague. “A couple of teacher posts are still open, so I encourage you to send us your resumes.” The staff nodded; possibly they knew already that their chances were scarce. The woman looked back at the students. “Beside me stand my colleagues, co-founders of the Diamond Industries, and my friends. Blue Winkle and Pink Amaranto. They shall be addressed as Chairman Winkle and Chairman Amaranto, and you shall call me Chairman Ki. We will now adopt the title of provisional headmistresses with Principal Dewey as our physical figure when we’re not at school.” She took a step backwards from the mic and sighed. “Right now, we will show you a film about the Diamond Industries and how our school system works.”

Chairman Ki pointed behind her with a remote and a big screen appeared from above. She pressed the button and a film started playing, showing the elegant logo of the Diamond Industries.

“Yawn.” Jenny hissed and Amethyst laughed. “No, seriously, I ain’t taking this shit, let’s leave.”

“We can’t.” Amethyst muttered. “Look how those scary brujas are staring at us with their coal-like eyes, I ain’t moving.”

Jenny followed her gaze and saw how the chairwomen were staring at the crowd while everyone was watching the video: their eyes seemed to be scanning every single person sitting in the hall. She shivered.

“You’re right; they are witches.”

After what seemed like an eternity, the documentary ended and no one felt like they had learned much from it. They had seen a movie about everything the Diamond Industries owned, from supermarkets to oil rigs, and the parts about their elite schools just showed them a bunch of stuff they’d never see anyway. Many left the hall quite indifferent.

“Should we just go to the classroom now?” Sour Cream asked vaguely.

“Yeah, we have theoretical biology with your dad, remember?” Buck slapped him on the shoulder.

“Yellow Tail is my stepdad.” Sour Cream growled. “And I wish he and my mother weren’t working together at this stupid school.” He walked on, making angry noises.

“Oh well hey, they won’t be for much longer.” Jenny mumbled and Kiki elbowed her in the ribs.

Amethyst shook her head and after climbing up the stairs, they filed into their usual classroom, sitting down without realizing the new girls were standing in a corner, waiting for their turn to claim a seat. When everyone had settled down, they frowned slightly, noticing them for the first time.

Peridot stood up and smiled at them, walking over.

“Hey there, my name’s Peridot and I’m the head of the class alongside Kevin, who…” She looked around, hunting for the lad. “… who seems to be missing today… never mind.” She cleared her throat. “In behalf of the class, I welcome you warmly and you can…”

But Amethyst interrupted her.

“In behalf of the class, Peridot? Really? Your ass might welcome them, but we sure don’t.” She narrowed her eyes, staring at the girls. “Rich scum.”

The blonde girl raised an eyebrow.

“Would you like some cash for your eyebrows?” She asked, spitefully, making Amethyst touch her face with a frown. “Maybe those are the reason you’re cranky.” She pulled a fifty-dollar bill out of her purse. “Here, go have them done.”

But Peridot jumped between them, raising her hands.

“Alright, alright, no need to fight. How about we find you some seats? What are your names, by the way?”

“Jinju Ki.” Jinju walked towards the back of the class and claimed the empty seat next to the missing Kevin. Everyone smiled, knowing she had made a mistake, but then again, they might get along. “Those two are Sapphire and Akoya Winkle.” Sapphire and Akoya slipped in a couple of seats in front of her, making Ruby shift uneasy when she caught the bright smile of the first. Lapis shrugged and took an empty seat behind Peridot, who almost leaped with joy at having one of them so close. “Lapis Winkle.” Jinju continued. “And that’s Pearl Amaranto.” The last mentioned sat down in the front row, next to Peridot.

“Well…” Peridot smiled brightly. “How about we all introduce ourselves too?”

But then the door clashed against the wall with a loud bang and everyone jumped. In the opening stood a tall strong girl with light hair so long it reached her waist. She was wearing some old battered jeans and a ripped jacket over a white top. Her arms were covered in tattoos and so was part of her face… or were it birthmarks? The new girls couldn’t tell.

“Without waiting for me, Peridot?” Came her voice, soft and sensual, which was also unexpected. “That’s so disappointing, I was hoping to introduce myself to the new girls.” She walked towards the empty desk on Pearl’s other side and slumped down into it, putting her feet on the desk. Pearl shrunk back and moved her own desk closer to Peridot’s. The girl raised an eyebrow and then laughed.

“’Sup.” She said. “I’m Jasper.”

Amethyst left her seat to punch her friend in the arm.

“Yo Jasp, why are you only showing up now?”

“I had stuff to do and I wasn’t going to waste my ass on a meeting that early…” Jasper grinned. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Plan?” Jenny asked.

“What plan?” Amethyst seemed confused.

“Well, the plan to reverse this crapp, of course.” Jasper frowned. “Don’t tell me yall have just given up!”

“Well, there’s not much we can do.” Kiki mumbled.

Jasper snorted, making Pearl jump.

“Of course there is… we just have to come up with something, but I promise you, guys, this school isn’t going to be shat on by a couple of people who think they’re better than anyone else.” She smiled and looked around the class. Peridot sighed, wishing deeply she had that kind of people skills.

“So… what do you suggest?” Amethyst asked.

“I suggest we work those brains.” Jasper crossed her thick arms. “I’m not just going to stand by… if we go down, we go down in a fight. Who’s with me?”

The class roared and the new girls covered their heads as everyone started running around madly, not stopping until Yellow Tail was practically at the door. Amethyst smiled, feeling some hope coming back; Jasper was always there for them… Jasper always knew what to do. They’d be lost without her… Unlike Peridot or Kevin, she was the true leader of the class, and now she had the opportunity to step in and show them how to fight back. And that seemed like rather an exciting plan for what was left of the school year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Noble Conflict II
> 
> Summary: TBA
> 
> Release date: TBA


	3. Noble Conflict Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper tries to get the new girls' help but that doesn't really work out. Meanwhile, Peridot has some unresolved issues with her classmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's this week's chapter!!! A little late, but I have been sick so I have my excuses :D
> 
> If you have read any of my fics, you'll know I'm all about character development. So if I made any of your favorite characters look like an asshole... chances are they have a good heart somewhere. 
> 
> As always, thanks for being awesome!

** Chapter Two **

** Noble Conflict II **

****

**R** ecess couldn’t come sooner that day. The class sped off towards the yard in front of the school at the very moment the bell rang and Yellow Tail couldn’t even mumble about homework. Amethyst and the gang headed for their favorite tree in the corner, followed by Jasper who was yawning profusely.

“Boy, this weekend was real short.” She muttered, fumbling in her pockets for a lighter.

“You weren’t even at school yesterday.” Amethyst growled, placing a cigarette between her lips.

“I had to work at the garage, asshole.” Jasper lit Amethyst’s cigarette for her and then stuffed the lighter back into her pocket. None of the gang had ever seen her smoke, but she always carried a lighter, which was convenient as Amethyst never brought hers.

“Yeah well, I’d rather work than go to school.” The purple-haired girl puffed out some smoke. “At least you’re doing something useful for humanity. This school never gave us much and now it’s taking away the little bits and pieces that we have left.”

Jasper snorted and looked away towards the small bench beside the door where the new girls were sitting, looking very out of place indeed.

“I told you, didn’t I? We’re not giving up.”

“But how can we do anything?” Kiki wailed. “I mean, come on… a major company… against a bunch of school kids…”

“We could knock up their daughters and cause a scandal.” Lars said, absent-mindly. Everyone went quiet.

“La-aaars.” Sadie slapped him on the arm and he cried out in protest. It was the first time they were actually hanging out with the gang – as they had called a class meeting with just Peridot missing – and he didn’t want Sadie to embarass him in front of everyone.

“Yeah, that was dumb.” Buck turned towards the new girls with a pensive look on his face. “We could seduce them, though… their mothers would freak if they started hanging out with a bunch of peasants.”

“They’d just get rid of us.” Amethyst sighed. “No, there must be something else…”

Buck seemed just a little disappointed and Jenny chuckled.

“Aw, what’s up? Did you want to hook up with them?”

“Yeah?” Buck stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked the other way, while everyone laughed.

“He has a point.” Jasper leaned against the tree, a quirky smile on her face. “I’d do the red-hair.”

Amethyst and Ruby snorted with laughter but Jenny crossed her arms.

“Aw hell no, Jasper. No fraternizing with the enemy.”

“Not saying I will.” Jasper chuckled. “But she moved away from me in class and she kept staring at me as if she was afraid I might stab her…” She smiled. “She’s totally into me.”

Everyone laughed.

“Oh Jasper, whatever.” Amethyst wiped the tears from her eyes. “But seriously, do you have a plan?”

Jasper sighed and crossed her arms, leaning one foot against the tree.

“I do.” She said, quietly. “But we’re gonna need their cooperation.” She nodded towards the new girls.

“Jasper, come on! We already agreed… no sex.” Jenny frowned.

“I’m not talking about sex.” Jasper paused, as if she wasn’t sure. “Well, not entirely.” Jenny rolled her eyes. “The thing is, we should team up with them and sabotage their mothers’ plans.”

Amethyst snorted loudly again and Ruby facepalmed. Jenny raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Dude, like…” Sour Cream began, but Amethyst cut through.

“Dude, what makes you think they’ll cooperate and go against their own mothers?”

Jasper narrowed her eyes.

“Well… They don’t seem too happy being here, do they?”

“You’re right!” Sadie exclaimed, slamming her fist on her open palm. “That’s brilliant!”

“Thank you.” Jasper smiled, and then turned towards Buck and Sour Cream. “Now, as you know, every deal comes with a price. They were raised by businesswomen after all and that’s probably what they’ll become anyways. Buck, go see if they need any ‘political favors’ like answer sheets; you’re our best provider. Sour Cream, you can offer them, well…” Jasper moved her hand absent-mindly. “…anything. Just pull your stuff out of your pockets and see if they need a dealer around these hoods.” She sniggered. “I wonder if they do.”

“Jasper…” Amethyst sighed. “They look like they never did anything wrong in their lives.”

“Never underestimate those who grow up in protected environments.” Jasper growled. “They tend to break lose in the most creative ways.”

As Buck and Sour Cream moved towards the girls, the gang stared, wondering what would happen. Would they accept and help out like Jasper suggested? Or would they turn their noses at a bunch of poor kids who just wanted to save their school, something that didn’t concern them at the least. Amethyst sighed as they approached them but Jasper seemed calm.

“What’s happening?” Ruby piped up. “What are they doing?”

“Buck’s talking… wait… they’re looking incredulous.” Sadie craned her neck in order to observe better. “Yeah they’re not buying all this.”

“Sour Cream’s turn.” Jenny mumbled. She gave a small cry of surprise and everyone stared. “They’re coming towards us!”

The red-haired girl was making her way quickly towards them, an angry look on her face. The others stayed behind, except Buck and Sour Cream who seemed to think the best idea was to follow her. She came towards the tree where the gang was waiting and raised an eyebrow.

“So…” She spoke in a low melodical voice, making Jasper look up. “You think you can just send your minions and make us play your game.” She was looking directly at her and Jasper stared back in surprise. “Yes, I’m talking to you… or are you not the leader of this bunch of commoners?”

Amethyst, Ruby and Jenny spluttered in anger at her words, but Jasper held them back with a hand movement and slowly moved away from the tree towards the girl.

“Pearl – is it? Well…” Jasper crossed her arms with a smile. “You see… sabotaging your mothers’ plans benefits us both. We get our school back and you… well… get your life back.” Pearl raised an eyebrow again. “You know, your posh school, your posh neighborhood, all of the luxuries princesses like you tend to have…” Jasper chuckled. “I imagine you must be feeling pretty frustrated at a place like this.”

Pearl pushed her bangs out of her face and the big girl could see her eyes were an intense shade of blue.

“This isn’t too bad for us, we keep living our luxury lifestyle all the while learning how to take on projects.” She said. “I mean, come on… this is the best thing that has ever happened to this school.” She looked around her, a disgusted look on her face. “This place is a dump.”

“HEY!” Amethyst growled. “It’s our dump!”

Pearl laughed.

“Please.” She said. “Even you will prefer the rebuilt East Delma High.”

Jasper gave a sarcastic laugh.

“Maybe we would.” She said, softly. “But none of us is going to be able to afford staying once it becomes private.”

There was a silence after that, broken only by the soft breeze rustling through the big tree’s leaves. Pearl stared at the gang, blankly, making them wonder if she felt even slightly moved.

“Well…” She said. “It wasn’t my decision and this doesn’t concern me. I’m a victim out of this, just like you. I had to leave my elite school in order to come here… They had a ballet program.” She stared at Jasper, angrily. “Maybe I do want to go back, but if you think the chairwomen of the Diamond Industries will give in so easily, you don’t know how wrong you are. There’s nothing… nothing at all you can do about it.” She held her chin up, proudly. “So no, we’re not going to collaborate with you to stop this project. Have a good day.” And with that she walked away, heading back towards her girls.

Everyone in the gang was gaping at the sight of her leaving except Jasper, who mumbled something and then leaned against the tree again. Amethyst moved towards her, an angry look on her face.

“Jasper! You said this would work!”

“I didn’t expect it to work right away…” Jasper sighed. “Give her some time. She’s smart, that one, she’ll come to her senses.”

“Smart? She’s just another posh bit…”

“Amethyst.” Jasper cut through. “Sooner or later, she will come to us. When everything gets too much for them… you know what I mean?”

Amethyst smiled mischievously.

“I think I do.”

Suddenly Lars sprung up.

“The Prime Minister!!!”

Everyone looked up to see Peridot walking towards them from the other side of the yard.

“Hide everything!” Amethyst started digging a hole in the ground.

“Will you relax?” Jasper sighed.

“Just because you two were in kindergarten together, doesn’t mean she isn’t a haughty know it all who tells on us twenty-four/seven.” Jenny frowned, stuffing a bag of weed behind a rock in the wall. “I mean, seriously…”

“Look, just let me handle this.” Jasper said, walking towards Peridot. The small girl was carrying a bunch of books with her; she had probably looted the library again during the first half of break. Jasper felt sorry for her; she didn’t have anyone to talk to. Unlike Lars and Sadie and a few others who weren’t really part of the gang, Peridot mostly just kept to her books and seemed to have no friends at all. She was walking toward her solemnly now, looking proud and determined.

“Yo, Peri.”

“Hey Jasper.” She cleared her throat. “I’ll keep it short: don’t bother the new girls.”

Jasper raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“Look, I don’t know what you’re plotting.” Peridot muttered. “But don’t agitate them. If we behave, we’ll have a bigger chance that they’ll allow us to finish our education here. If we all start acting like idiots, we won’t stand a chance.”

“Why do you care?” Jenny scoffed. “You can afford to stay. And even if you can’t, you’re the only one smart enough to get a scholarship.”

“Shut up, Jenny, at least she cares about us.” Kiki said. “Unlike that Pearl girl.”

Peridot sighed.

“I’m serious. You have no idea what the Diamond Industries are capable of. My family works for them and I get to hear the scariest tales from time to time…”

“Well…” Jasper looked over at the girls. “She kinda said the same thing, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to give up. I don’t believe in the ‘wait and see’ tactic, Peridot. I have to do something in order not to regret doing nothing, you get what I mean?”

“I do.” Peridot said. “But keep it mild.” And she walked away again, gripping her books tightly. They stared after her, in surprise.

“That was cool of her.” Kiki said.

“Hmmh for all we know, she’s just going to blab everything to Vidalia.” Lars growled. “Never trust the Class Head.”

“It’s okay.” Jasper smiled. “I know she’s loyal to us.”

 

                                      *         *         *

“The nerve!” Jinju kicked an empty soda can across the yard. “How dare they ask us to collab with them to overthrow our own mothers!!!”

“Jinju, calm down.”

“NO PEARL I AM NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN!” The girl bellowed, sending a flock of pigeons flying away in fright. “HOW CAN I IN THIS PLACE, WHAT IS THIS EVEN!!!??”

“Look… we said we wouldn’t help them.” Sapphire said, gently. “It’s going to be okay.”

“No…” Jinju sighed. “Don’t you understand? Now they’re going to bully us until we give in.”

“Maybe so.” Pearl said. “But if they do, they’ll get into big trouble.”

“Can’t we get them into trouble now?” Lapis asked slyly. Everyone turned to look at her. “You know… get our moms to speed the process of privatizing this place.”

“You know that’s not in the contract.” Akoya sighed. “They’re staying until the end of the year.”

“But what if they do something real bad like burning down the school?” Lapis grinned.

“Lapis, we are not burning down the school and blaming them.” Pearl crossed her arms, sternly. “No, we have to deal with them on another way… We have to beat them at their own game…”

“And what game is that?” Jinju looked over at the tree where the gang stood. “Because I don’t know.”

“Well, allow me to explain.” Pearl held out her finger. “Jasper, their leader, has their respect; that’s why she’s their leader. Without her, they’re nothing, so if we break her, we break them all.”

“So what are you going to do, seduce her and then dump her?” Lapis laughed. “Can’t break the unbreakable.”

Pearl went a little red.

“That is NOT what I meant.” She looked at them. “No, we need to come up with a plan where they lose their respect for Jasper.”

“Oooohhhh.”

“We will bring her down before the year ends.” Pearl grabbed her phone out of her purse and started scrolling through a fashion app.

“And… we’ll look fabulous doing it?” Akoya said, peaking over her shoulder with a wry smile.

“No…” Pearl laughed. “I mean yes. Don’t mind me, I need a dress for the Fundraiser next week.”

“Oh that.” Jinju pushed her hair back. “I already got mine, it’s amazing.”

“I’m sure it is.” Pearl looked back at them. “Break’s almost over. Let’s get back to the building before we get trampled by everyone.”

“Isn’t it gym next?” Sapphire pulled out a handwritten schedule. She had noted down all the classes in different colors and with pretty doodles around them. Jinju snorted.

“Why would you make a timetable when you can check it on your phone?” She scoffed. “Sapphire, why must you be so much?”

“Hey, you leave her be!” Akoya growled; she was a quiet girl but always got defensive about her little sister. Jinju rolled her eyes and looked away, crossing her arms.

“Shut up.” Pearl sighed. “No fighting.” She took a look at Sapphire’s timetable. “Yep, gym.”

At that moment the bell announcing the end of break rang loud and clear, forcing the girls to move along towards the building, surrounded by the other students. Many of them were staring and some even pointed at them directly, not caring if they got caught.

“Stare all you want, I won’t charge you!” Lapis said cockily, laughing at a couple of first years. Amethyst, who was right behind her, let out a low growl.

“How dare they mock our economical situation.”

“Let them.” Jasper stretched her arms and put her hands behind her head as they walked up the steps towards the front door. “They’re in Hell now, and they’ll have to play according to Hell’s rules.”  
“What do you mean?” Ruby asked.

“We have gym now, don’t we?” Jasper winked at the small girl.

“Oooohhh…” Ruby laughed mischievously.

The class headed towards the classroom and picked up their gym bags from the space in the back of the room. One by one the students filed out.

“I wonder where the changing rooms are.” Akoya frowned. “I haven’t even seen a gym, to be honest.”

“Changing rooms?” Jenny walked past them. “In your dreams.” And she left. They could hear her laughing in the corridor, and they stared at each other, wondering what was going on.

“Excuse me?” They turned around to see Peridot before them, already in her gym clothes.

“Hm?” Pearl mumbled.

“We don’t have changing rooms here.” Peridot said softly. “We just get changed in the bathroom… it’s down the hall.”

The girls stared at her, horrified.

“We… get changed…” Pearl started.

“… IN THE BATHROOM?” Jinju cried. “IN THE FRIGGIN’ BATHROOM? WHAT IS THIS? EVEN CAMPINGS HAVE CHANGING ROOMS…”

“Jinju, calm down.” Pearl said, curtly. Then she stared back at Peridot. “Is this true? The bathroom?”

“Yeah.” Peridot smiled. “It’s a little weird, but it’s not so bad once you’re used to it…”

“Forget it. I am not changing in the bathroom. I am not doing that.” Jinju crossed her arms and frowned.

Peridot looked around; everyone else had already left.

“You could get changed in here. I’ll watch the door.” She offered. “I’m already in my gym-clothes so it’s okay.”

Akoya took a step forwards.

“That seems reasonable.” She said. “Go watch the door for us.”

“What the flip, Akoya…” Jinju piped up.

“Oh shut up, Jinju! Do you want to get dressed in the bathroom? Or do you maybe prefer the yard?” Akoya retorted and Jinju went quiet. She always disliked how the birdy girl could make her shut up. She was a gentle thing but could become quite stern when it came to her.

Peridot walked over to the door and stood in front of it, covering the small window in the middle. Slowly, the other girls started pulling their brand new gym-clothes out of their bags and laying them carefully upon the desks. The small girl sighed and turned towards the small window, as she heard footsteps, but it was a false-alarm. When she looked back she almost forgot what she was doing there in the first place.

What was up with their bodies? Peridot felt her face go red as each of them revealed perfectly toned stomachs and firm legs. All of them – except Pearl – had evenly bronzed skin tones. The tall girl, on the other hand, had a few freckles but her paler tone too was pretty even and smooth. Peridot felt as if she were staring at some fancy magazine.

“Yo, nerd.” Came Lapis’ voice. “Kindly advert your eyes, this isn’t the pornhub tab on your computer.”

Peridot couldn’t go redder and her eyes fell to the floor as if she wanted to sink right through it. The other girls laughed a little.

“Savage.” Akoya gave Lapis a small nudge. “Leave her, she’s a sweetie. She’s watching the door for us.”

“More like she’s watching us.” Lapis pulled her t-shirt over her head. “I know I’m beautiful.” She winked at Peridot. “See you in gym.” And she walked out of the door, pushing the small girl aside. Peridot fell down and quickly scrambled up before the other girls walked out. A smiling Akoya patted her on the shoulder.

“Take no notice of my sister; she’s an asshole.” She laughed. “Somewhere in there is a kind heart, but mostly she’s just an asshole.”

Peridot stared at her, but Akoya moved forward and the small girl hurried to catch up to the group. She followed them outside to the yard.

“Ugh, they don’t even have a gym.” Jinju scooped her hair up in a small ponytail. “What is life.”

“I kind of like it.” Sapphire smiled brightly, staring around the yard. “It feels less cooked-up.”

She was interrupted by a sharp whistle and a big buff blonde woman with short hair stepped forwards. She was wearing blue shorts and a t-shirt with some kind of roller-derby logo on it.

“Alright, round up!” Came her voice, loud and shrill, making the new girls cringe. “Are we all here?”

“Kevin’s missing!” Peridot piped up.  
“Thank God.” They heard her mutter under her breath. She looked up and stared right at the new girls. “Fresh meat.” She mumbled. “Hi, I’m Barb, but you’d better call me Coach.” Sapphire smiled. “I hope you’re ready for some dodge ball.”

“What the heck is that?” Jinju muttered.

“That’s a game where you can throw a ball at people and they can throw it at you.” Barb said, with a laugh at their horrified faces. “So come on, make teams! I want Jasper in one and Amethyst in the other.”

“Awwww!” Amethyst looked disappointed. “You always do that, Coach.”

“I also want the new girls split up.”

Pearl and Jinju shared a look of fear at each other as Jasper and Amethyst started picking players. In the end, only the new girls were left. Jasper raised an eyebrow at Amethyst, who laughed.

“You pick first.” The purple-haired girl said.

“Pearl.” Jasper said, a quiet sneer on her face.

The tall girl moved towards Jasper’s team, reluctantly. The big girl laughed.

“Oh don’t look so forlorn. I throw the hardest balls, you’re safe with me.” She winked at her. “Beware of Amethyst though.”

Jinju and Lapis joined Amethyst whilst Sapphire and Akoya went with Jasper. Finally, the teams had been made.

“For those of you who don’t know, you have to try and hit your opponents with the ball.” Jasper explained. “If someone gets hit, they go and stand in the field behind the opposite team. If the ball rolls towards them, they can save themselves by trying to hit someone. Clear?” Without waiting for an answer, she threw a ball at Jenny’s butt as she was looking the other way.

“NO FAIR!” Jenny cried. “I was texting!”

“NO PHONES!” They heard Barb shout.

“Run along now.” Jasper said, soothingly, and Jenny moved behind them, swearing loudly.

The game was a wild ride. Everyone seemed to want to send the opposite team members to the ICU and all Pearl and Jinju seemed to do was run away from the ball and stand behind bigger and burlier members. Akoya got hit in the first round and ended up staring bored at the game as the ball never came towards her field. Lapis showed no interest at all in the game but managed to not get hit until the end. She walked towards the opposite field, where Peridot was trying to save herself, but no balls rolled towards her either. Sapphire was the only one who seemed to be enjoying it. Not only that, but she managed to send four people to the opposite field, including Amethyst herself. Ruby, standing next to her, was gaping in awe.

“You’re… really good at this.” She said, shyly. Sapphire chuckled.

“Thank you… I like games.” She smiled.

Ruby went red but then she felt the ball slamming in her guts. She looked at Sour-Cream angrily.

“Asshole.” She muttered, slam-dunking the ball on his head while she moved away.

“I’m too high for this.” Sour-Cream walked towards the benches next to the wall, where Barb was watching and sat down beside her. Barb gave him her soda and the rest proceeded with the game.

Lapis and Peridot, both stuck in the opposite field, weren’t doing so well. Peridot tried to get the ball but the other team was quicker and Lapis didn’t help at all.

“You’re such a dork.” The blue-haired girl frowned, as Peridot fell on the floor for the sixth time, almost losing her glasses. “Your panties are showing.”

Peridot pulled up her pants, blushing brightly.

“Oh well.” Lapis chuckled. “I guess we’re even now.”

The small girl was so caught up in her smile that she never saw the ball coming. It hit her right in the face and she fell down again, staggering backwards. Everything went black for a while, and when she opened her eyes, a crowd was standing around her. She felt something trickle down her face and realized she was having a nosebleed. She almost went out cold again at the thought of it.

“Alright, okay.” Barb picked her up gently and shoved a tissue up her nose, making the small girl cringe. “You there, take her to the bathroom!” She barked at Lapis, who stood a little away from the crowd, arms crossed. The girl rolled her eyes and pulled Peridot along, heading for the bathrooms.

“You silly girl.” She muttered. “Who gets hit in the face like that?” They reached the bathrooms and she let some water run in the sink. She started rubbing Peridot’s face with it and the small girl took a step backwards.

“I’ll do it.” She muttered. “Thanks, you can go back now.”

Lapis raised an eyebrow.

“I mean it.” Peridot washed the blood of her face, serenely. “You’re right, I am a nerd. I get the highest marks and I pay for it like this. I get balls flung in my face and I flunk gym.” She looked at Lapis. “Nobody ever hangs out with me and that’s okay, I don’t mind. My life will start when I graduate. So please, just go outside. They won’t respect you if you hang around me.”

Lapis seemed a little surprised at this turn of events. She was taken aback by the small speech, as she hadn’t expected such seriousness from the small nerd. But something inside her felt slightly moved.

“Well…” She said. “People don’t respect me according to whom I hang out with…” Peridot stared at her. “People respect me ‘cause I’m a bitch. And I’m rich. And with the snap of my fingers I can destroy their families’ business.” She laughed. “Good memories.” She turned back to Peridot. “So it really doesn’t matter if I go or if I stay. I do exactly what I want, and you know… so do you.”

“I do?” Peridot seemed surprised.

“Yeah.” Lapis said. “I mean, everyone bullies you for being such a nerd but you keep being a nerd, you don’t try to become someone else in order to feel accepted. You have a clear goal in life, unlike the rest. I can relate to your don’t-care-ishness.”

Peridot looked at her for a moment and then smiled.

“Thanks.” She said, softly.

“I still think you’re a nerd and I couldn’t care less about you.” Lapis added quickly. “I was just stating the truth.”

“That’s good enough for me.” Peridot whispered as Lapis left. She couldn’t help but feel happy. From the first moment she had wanted to befriend the new girls. Her little talk with Lapis had somehow made her feel closer to the possibility.

When Lapis came back outside, there was a loud discussion on the fields.

“Yo, Amethyst, that was uncalled for!” Jasper was saying. “I know she told Vidalia that you were cheating on last semester’s math exam, but come on! Take it down a notch, girl!”

“You’re always defending her! Do you like her or something?” Amethyst retorted.

“Don’t be an idiot!” Jasper gave her a shove. “Listen, Amethyst, we’re on the same side.” She pointed towards the new girls. “They should be the focus of your anger right now, not Peridot.”

“I thought you said we had to side with them!” Amethyst exclaimed.

“We will do so when they’re ready. For now, if you want to bully anyone, bully someone who actually wants to take this school away from us!”

That seemed to have settled it and Barb blew her whistle, signaling the end of the lesson. Everyone headed towards the bathroom, groaning loudly, except the new girls who went to their classroom again.

Peridot was still in the bathroom and jumped a little when the gang walked in. Jasper clapped her on the back.

“You okay?”

The small girl nodded, looking at the floor.

Amethyst came up towards her.

“Listen, Peri…” She shifted uncomfortably. “Sorry for slamming the ball in your face.”

“It’s okay.” Peridot seemed slightly surprised at the apology.

“No, look.” Amethyst stared at her. “We’ll let you in in a little secret. We want to stop this school from kicking us out and we need the new girls to help us.”

Peridot’s eyes widened.

“You’re telling me this… why? Aren’t you afraid I’m going to snitch?”

“I’m hoping you won’t.” Amethyst sighed. “This concerns you too. We grew up together in this school, we’re all a big gang.”

Peridot felt a lump grow in her throat, the sweet taste of acceptance rushing through her body.

“So Peri… Will you be our double agent?” Jasper asked.

“What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Trick
> 
> Peridot starts working as a "double agent" although she genuinely starts liking the new girls. Amethyst works on a plan to get them to break.
> 
> (Coming soon) 
> 
> Hang in there :D !!! Have a wonderful week!!


	4. The Trick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang decides to frame the new girls but Peridot is conflicted as she has already made a few friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm so sorry this took this long. It's been a tough few weeks. I'm not usually about placing excuses but I fell of the stairs at school and hurt my foot and then I had like four deadlines at the same time (I study animation so deadlines are mostly about animating until 4 am). And then I received word from home that my cat had died and that really didn't help. I'm just glad I have a week of holidays now, so I can finally post this chapter and write the next. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks, as always, for being awesome readers. Your comments really make my day!!! Keep being awesome!!!
> 
> Language stuff: "Mucha" means "a lot" or "very" in Spanish.  
> *I also made Jasper have Greek ancestry, it felt good.

** Chapter Three **

** The Trick **

 

 **J** asper opened her eyes and the darkness surrounding her surprised her. Did she fall asleep again? It was happening more and more these days that she had to get up at dawn and help her father out before getting to class.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. She hadn’t even bothered to pull the sheets over her; she must have been really tired when she came home. The big girl picked up the old alarm clock on her night table and was shocked to see that it was already ten o’clock… Where had her afternoon gone?

Jasper got up and headed for the kitchen which was also their living room. Her father had come home not too long ago… he had fallen asleep on the couch, the small TV still on and projecting eerie shadows on his face. Chinese leftovers from the day before were sprawled over the coffee table and the big girl sighed, scooping them up and bringing them to the sink. There was a note stuck on the microwave.

 

_Got some mac and cheese from the store. Eat up._

 

Jasper felt a lump rise in her throat; he really was a good father. He smoked and drank a little too much to be called healthy but he did care about his only daughter and she knew that all the late hours he pulled and the rations he held on himself were for her. Everything he did was for her.

She took the small package out of the microwave when it had heated up and sat next to her sleeping father on the couch. There was an add going on on TV, and she could here the high clear tone of the person speaking.

“For quality and quantity, the Diamond Mart will suit you best… whether it’s a suit you’re buying… or a comfortable vest. Diamond Mart, all you ever dreamed to have.”

Jasper groaned and aggressively stuffed some food in her mouth. The Diamond Industries controlled the country like some overseas multinational corporation and now they were going to destroy her school.

Not that Jasper had ever had much hope of becoming anything, even if she did go to school. She knew her father needed help with the garage and it seemed unthinkable to dream of a different future. She tried not to think of it very often; that way she felt like she could keep going. She would never be able to afford college anyway.

Her phone bleeped in her pocket and she flipped it open. She had received a text from Amethyst.

 

_Yo jasp im at SHTZ with jenny wanna come?_

 

Jasper shook her head and swallowed another mouthful of mac and cheese. Normally she wouldn’t have minded, but she was feeling tired and a little depressed.

“I didn’t have much.” She muttered to herself as another Diamond add appeared on TV. “But you came along and left me with even less. Tell me where I’m gonna find another school within affordable travelling distance.” The add flashed with bright colors and their logo appeared broadly on the TV screen. “You bunch of assholes, this shit is meaningless for you, but it sure means the world to me.” Jasper stood up and threw the empty tray in the trash can. “Just you wait, Diamond Industries, I’m going to make life real hard for you…”

 

                                                *        *        *

Peridot sighed as she scrolled through her photo albums on Gradient. There really wasn’t much to boast about: fifteen pictures from her cousin’s Bar Mitzvah which would haunt her for life, a couple of selfies which had felt good at the moment but now looked like meme material and a class photo from a couple of years ago which would have been endearing if Amethyst hadn’t been holding two fingers behind her head. It still was a pretty funny photo, as they were still wearing uniforms. Only the top years were allowed to wear normal clothes. Peridot looked closer and laughed: Jasper was wearing her gym clothes and staring arrogantly at the camera. She had always hated the school uniform and teachers had always had to run after her screaming for her to change. But Jasper was a free spirit.

Peridot sighed, clicking on Jasper’s Gradient. Her profile picture showed her on a motorbike, wearing her favorite sleeveless shirt. Peridot had always been jealous of her biceps: if she had a pair of those, maybe she wouldn’t have been bullied so much.

The small girl clicked on Amethyst’s Gradient next, smiling a little at her mad profile picture where she was partying hard in a club with Jenny. It had been uploaded not ten minutes ago.

She sighed again, wondering why she couldn’t be more like them. They went out, they had fun… they had tons of friends on Gradient… what was it that made them so cool?

When she clicked on Ruby’s Gradient, though, she made a discovery: Sapphire had befriended her! Peridot grinned broadly, knowing she would be able to find all the new girls’ profiles by clicking on Sapphire’s.

She found Lapis and Akoya soon enough, they were tagged in her header picture: it was some kind of family portrait. Peridot smiled as she went through Sapphire’s many photo albums. They seemed endless and had random titles like “Italy 2014” and “26th Mobile Convention Barcelona”.

She didn’t have that much luck stalking Lapis and Akoya as their profiles were completely privatized… Akoya had one picture that could be seen – her profile picture. It was a portrait taken at some fancy studio and she looked very pretty indeed.

Peridot moved along to Pearl and Jinju, who were also tagged in Sapphire’s albums. Both of them had semi-privatized profiles and the small girl enjoyed a great variety of pictures taken at receptions and fundraisers. Pearl and Jinju seemed the two most serious girls in the Clique: groomed and raised to be heiresses.

“I’d give anything to be their friend.” Peridot sighed, as she scrolled through Sapphire’s profile again. She attempted to click on her header image again, as Lapis was standing there looking very pretty indeed, but she accidentally hit the “friend” button and she stared in horror as the “friend request sent” box appeared on her screen.

“No…no… NO NO NO NO NOOOOOO!!!” Peridot felt her whole world vanish in that second. She started clicking the button furiously. “UNDO!!! UNDO!!!” She screamed. But before she could do anything, the “friend request accepted” message came flying in as a charm. Peridot almost fell of her chair.

“Oh my God… Sapphire actually accepted my request…”

She could now see all of her statuses and started chuckling at the girl’s weird posts. She almost got a heart attack when the chat gave a loud ping. It was Sapphire.

 

HI <3 <3 <3

 

Peridot stared in amazement, not knowing what to reply. What was going on.

“Um, hi?” She muttered as she typed back.

 

SO HOW ARE YOU DOING??? YOUR SCHOOL IS AMAZING AND SO IS DODGE BALL, I’M SO GLAD I CAME HERE.

 

Peridot snorted.

 

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She said, typing back. “Barb has many fun games that will… _knock you of your feet_.”

Sapphire sent a whole army of laughing emojis.

“That’s brilliant.” She wrote back.

For a moment, none of them wrote, but then Sapphire piped up:

“I noticed you liked Zircos’ official page… are you a fan? They’re my favorite boyband…”

“Wow! Mine too!” Peridot wrote back.

For the next couple of hours, they spoke about boybands and the conversation led to all kinds of subjects. When they finally disconnected, Peridot went to bed happy and oddly comforted. It felt really good to talk to someone who had the same interests. She had even shown her her art page, something the class didn’t even know about. Sapphire had praised it greatly.

“You draw a lot of smut.” She had written. “I know my sisters will appreciate this.”

“Please don’t show.” Peridot had answered. She felt mortified at the idea of Lapis and Akoya seeing her gay shipping trash.

Even so, Peridot felt a small pang of remorse. Here she was, making friends with the people who would destroy her school. They had told her to do so, to be a double agent, but her conversation with Sapphire had been so genuine that she felt really guilty towards both parties.

“I’m supposed to pretend to be friends with the new girls…” She sighed, getting into bed and drawing the covers over her. “… which isn’t fair to the new girls… but then I really like them… and that’s against everything the gang stands for… I don’t think I can actually do something right here.” She turned off the small lamp on her nigh table. “Oh well, that’s just life I guess.”

And she went to sleep.

 

                                                *        *        *

 

Akoya was staring at the ceiling of her bedroom with a forlorn expression on her face. The group chat had been active till really late and even if she and her sisters hardly ever came on it, it still wasn’t peaceful when Jinju started listing everything she became obsessed about.

“You’re so stupid.” Akoya hissed, flipping a finger at her profile picture. Jinju never really looked good on photos… it wasn’t that she didn’t “look good”, she just never managed to catch the right angle. Something always seemed off, as if she tried to hard to make a certain expression. Her cringiest photos were on an album named “modelling” on Gradient. Just thinking about it made her smile and Akoya quickly searched for the app on her phone. She went to Jinju’s profile and started flipping through all her perky pictures, they were just too funny.

“You’re such an idiot.” She grinned as she was staring at a picture of Jinju on a yacht holding a glass in her hand while shooting a sheepish look at the camera. Akoya swiped on the screen to go to the next picture, but accidentally liked it and her face went white. The photo was from at least two years ago…

“Dang it…” She unliked it quickly and turned her phone on flight mode. She felt so stupid… Jinju would probably notice, she always checked her notifications, unlike Akoya herself. Akoya never liked her pictures.

 

*        *        *

 

Dawn was cold and misty, spreading a weird pinkish light across the fields. Jasper sighed as she leaned against the window in the train and flipped her phone open to see if she had any messages. Amethyst hadn’t sent anything; she was probably still sleeping. She was lucky as she lived near school.

Jasper lived in the suburbs of Beach City, half an hour away from school. There weren’t any schools near her area, only evening classes and other stuff where older people, troubled youth and drug addicts attended. Jasper knew she wouldn’t be able to go anywhere else, East Delma High was just on the limit… Any school beyond fell into the second zone when it came to trains, and the price doubled.

She jumped as she received a text message and saw that it was actually Amethyst. So she was awake after all!!

“Got this amazing idea.” She had written. Jasper frowned, wondering what she was talking about, so she asked.

“I’m gonna play a trick on Yellow Tail today. I planned everything last night with Jen.”

“Last night? You were drunk and now you’re hung-over.” Jasper texted back.

“You know that’s when I’m at my best.” She answered and the big girl had to agree. Amethyst was one hell of a creative thinker under the influence of alcohol.

“So what did you come up with?” Jasper looked up, the train had just entered the tunnels that connected the suburbs with the main part of Beach City. Everything had gone pretty dark as many of the train lights were broken. A group of teenage boys started playing with a lighter and Jasper sighed; people like that were annoying.

“Hang on.” She texted to Amethyst. “I need to switch trains.” And she got up as the train moved into a dark station that connected her with the city subway. She managed to jump into one just seconds before the doors closed and she slumped down in one of the seats – in much better state than the ones on the other train – and she picked up her phone again. Amethyst had already texted her the details and Jasper smirked.

“Play a trick on Yellow Tail and frame the new girls, huh?” She grinned, placing her boots on the seat in front of her, causing some disgusted looks from the other passengers. She couldn’t care less. “Today seems promising.”

When the train finally arrived at the station that left her near school, Jasper got out and ran up the escalators, wanting to get there so she could hear Amethyst’s plan in person. Not that they would carry it out without her, she was the one who gave the orders in that class and everyone knew.

When she arrived in front of the walls, an expensive car had just stopped next to the sidewalk. Jasper stood still and watched as one by one the new girls got out of their car. Sapphire was the only one who looked happy, prancing around on the asphalt, her wide dress bobbing up and down. Lapis and Akoya both had the same frown on their not – so – identical faces, and they walked past their little sister mumbling something about being over-enthusiastic. Jinju looked terrible, as if she hadn’t slept all week. Only Pearl seemed as flawless as the first moment she had laid eyes on her. For Jasper hadn’t seen anything that bothered her on the girl who leaded that small and elite group. She couldn’t even dislike her attitude… would she have been any different had she been born in her family?

“Is she going to stab us if we go inside?” Jinju asked, eyeing Jasper suspiciously. Pearl, who had just locked the car, stared at the big girl with a mixture of irony and disdain.

“Jinju, just because the dog barks, it doesn’t mean it will bite.” The tall girl swung her bag elegantly over her shoulder and walked past Jasper without another glance. “Stop being so scared of them; they know they can’t touch us.”

Jasper let out a loud snort. Jinju jumped and ran inside the school grounds, her high heels clattering on the paved path. Lapis and Akoya followed her with a sigh, but Sapphire waited eagerly as Pearl turned around slowly towards the big girl.

“Or can you?” She said, slyly.

“What, touch you?” Jasper raised an eyebrow, amused. “With her watching?” She pointed at Sapphire, who was still smiling. Pearl went red.

“Ugh.” She hissed. “How did you manage to twist my words like that?”

“You made it pretty easy.” Jasper started walking inside slowly. “Just so you know – your loss.”

Pearl watched her firm body move away from them, towards the main entrance and she growled.

“As if!” She exclaimed. “If we were the last two people on Earth, I wouldn’t consider it!”

“You see, that’s where you’re wrong…” Came Jasper’s answer, from far ahead. “One night with me, and the rest of the world would cease to exist for you. You can ask people.” And she climbed up the steps of the building, disappearing through the door. Pearl was shaking in anger and turned towards Sapphire.

“What are you still doing here?” She snapped. “Let’s go inside!”

“She likes you!” Sapphire chuckled, running next to her in order to catch up to her wide steps.

“No, she’s just messing with me. She thinks she can psyche me out with her seductive ways…” Pearl pushed Sapphire up the steps. “But that’s not gonna work on me, bitch.”

“You’re already talking like them.” Sapphire smiled.

“I’m not!” Pearl said through gritted teeth. “I just have to calm down and think about this.”

“About what, letting Jasper _touch you_?”

“Sapphire, what on Earth!” Pearl gave her a push. “I meant the situation! How to deal with all of these gangsters!”

“Ooooh.” Sapphire mumbled as they walked through the corridor. “Well, some love could never hurt…”

“Forget it.” Pearl opened the classroom door and walked to her seat, sitting down neatly as she pulled her skirt over her knees. Jinju walked over and sat down on her table, looking nervous.

“I’m really not okay.” She whispered. “Look at them, it’s like they’re planning our downfall.

Jasper, Amethyst and the others were standing in the back of the classroom, grinning broadly.

“So we attach these ‘invisible threads’ to random objects in the room and make them move when Yellow Tail’s teaching.” Amethyst chuckled, showing them a bag full of thin transparent strings. “If everything works out, we’ll have some time before he calls Principal Dewey.”

“And then we frame them.” Jen finished.

“The new girls?” Sadie asked.

“No, my grandma. Yes the new girls!” Jen hissed. “Don’t be an idiot.”

“How are we framing them?” Buck asked, with a frown.

At that moment, Peridot walked in, a small smile on her face. She placed her bag on her desk and moved over towards Sapphire, grinning broadly. The gang stared in amazement as the two girls hugged and Sapphire pulled a bunch of CDs out of her bag, spreading them all over her desk. Peridot sat down next to her and they started mumbling excitedly about them.

“That’s how we’re framing them.” Amethyst grinned. “With our double agent Peri.”

Everyone chuckled, except Jasper.

“That’s no show, Amethyst.” She said darkly. “Peridot likes them, they’re actually nice to her.”

“Are you going soft on her again?” Amethyst frowned. “Peridot likes us. She’s always wanted to be a part of us. She’s just putting up a show so that we can trust her.”

“You’re wrong.” Jasper growled. “This won’t work, just frame them yourself.”

“Peridot can slip these extra threads into their bags without them noticing.” Amethyst insisted. “Come on, Jasper.”

The big girl sighed.

“Fine.” She turned away. “Oy, Peridot! Come over here a sec!”

The small girl got up slowly and walked towards the gang, a small worried look on her face.

“Heeeeey, Peri.” Amethyst clapped her on the back. “Guess who’s got a job for you!”

Peridot swallowed.

“What is it?”

Amethyst explained about the trick and then showed her the bag.

“You are to slam these extra threads into their bags at break, just before Yellow Tail’s lesson. I’ve already attached all of the strings.”

“Wait…” Peridot looked horrified. “You want me to… frame them?”

Amethyst laughed.

“Of course… you knew what you were getting into…”

Peridot started trembling.

“I… can’t….”

“Yes you can!” Amethyst pushed the bag into her small hands. “You want to be our friend, don’t you? You want us to protect you… don’t you?”

Peridot felt tears come up in her eyes and looked away.

“Yes…” She said, very quietly.

“Right!” Amethyst smiled brightly. “Let’s get this party started! During break, you sneak up here and place this set of strings in the new girls’ bags.”

Jasper turned away when she caught Peridot’s frightened look. She didn’t like the idea very much and wished there was another way out. But Amethyst was right, nobody would suspect Peridot.

The small girl turned around slowly and went back to sit with Sapphire. Her hands were trembling a little and her new friend noticed soon enough.

“What’s wrong…?” She asked, concerned. “Have they been bullying you again?”

“No… they’re my friends.” Peridot answered, her voice shaking.

“Yeah right.” Lapis, who had been sitting on the table next to them, came towards them with a sneer on her face. “I’m not your friend and I treat you way better than that.”

“It’s true!” Peridot exclaimed. “We were just discussing… class… stuff.”

Lapis held up both hands.

“Alright! Fine!” She muttered. “Whatever.” And she walked over to her desk again.

Akoya was sitting quietly at her own desk when Jinju approached her with a sly grin. The girl sighed… Why was she so annoying and what did she want now?

“I see you’ve been stalking.” Jinju held up her phone to show her Instagram account and Akoya sighed.

“I liked a photo by accident, okay…”  
“Oh so you were just passing by? Pics from two years ago?”

“I needed material.” Akoya said, smugly. “To photoshop your derpy face onto anything I want.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Just watch me!”

Pearl sighed deeply as she watched the two girls bicker. Jinju and Akoya had never really seen eye to eye and most of the time they found it hard to be around each other. To be honest, the tree sisters in the Blue family were all quite peculiar. Pearl turned around and glanced at Sapphire, who seemed far to happy for a place like that. Her eyes moved on towards Lapis, who looked even grumpier than usual. Pearl shook her head with a frown. Everyone was weird.

But her thoughts were interrupted by a loud slam on the teacher’s desk and she jumped, wondering how she could have zoned out like that. Mrs. Maheshwaren had arrived to give her math class and she didn’t look far to happy. In fact she looked quite mad and everyone sat down quickly in order to prevent a major punishment.

“Now I don’t know who left those markings in the girl’s bathroom, but I will find out!” She said, angrily. “Open your math books at page 26 and start doing all the problems. Meanwhile, I’ll be calling you one by one to my table for interrogation.”

The class sighed and started flipping through their books. Pearl and Jinju shared a look, wondering what that was all about.

“Gangsters.” Jinju mouthed and Pearl couldn’t help but smile.

Amethyst was the first to get called over but she returned smugly a few minutes after, having been declared innocent. Peridot was called upon next, but she didn’t seem to know anything about it.

“Jasper Daskalakis, come here!” Mrs. Maheshwaren snapped suddenly, and Jasper got up with a grunt. Pearl shrunk back into her seat as she passed her and brushed her leg slightly with hers.

“Sup.” Jasper sat down next to the teacher. Mrs. Maheshwaren glared at her.

“You know why you’re here.”

“I do… I’ts always the same.” Jasper yawned. “First you check if it was Amethyst… then you go ahead and see if Peridot knows anything… and finally you reach the conclusion that it was me.”

“Jasper, you’re facing suspension. This is the third time in two weeks that you’ve pulled a prank.” Mrs. Maheshwaren said, a serious tone in her voice.

“Well… it doesn’t really matter, does it?” Jasper said, a smirk on her face. The class went quiet. “I’ll get kicked out anyway once the Diamond Industries take over completely.”

Mrs. Maheshwaren stood up.

“Jasper, go to the janitor’s closet and get some cleaning materials. I want you to scrub the girls’ bathroom until it’s clean. Don’t come back until it’s done. And don’t push it.” Jasper, who had already gotten up, paused at the door. “I’m serious, you don’t want to leave just yet.”

The big girl moved away, a dark look on her face, and the class stared after her, wondering what she’d do.

“Misunderstood teenager much.” Jinju flipped through her notebook. “I’m so sick of this school already… at least back at our old school people had class…”

“Shut your face, Bitchian Dior.” Amethyst growled and Jinju dived behind her desk, trembling like a leaf. Pearl rolled her eyes and went back to her math exercises.

Jasper didn’t come back the next hour or even at break, for she had messed the bathroom up badly. She had drawn caricatures of the teachers in every stall last evening, before going home, but she didn’t regret it. She proceeded to clean everything, feeling happy to be skipping math and history.

Amethyst and Jenny came to visit her during break and brought Peridot with them.

“How’s it going, girl? Mucha cleaning?” Amethyst slapped her on the shoulder. Jasper mumbled something and turned towards them, a rag in her hands.

“It’s fine, I needed a couple of hours of manual labor to think.” She looked at Peridot. “Watcha doing here?”

“We were just about to send her upstairs so that she can place the strings in the new girl’s bags.” Amethyst smiled. “They’ve gone to the store near school to get some lunch… I don’t think they trust the cafeteria.”

“Well, to be fair, neither do I.” Jenny crossed her arms. “Fryman is a real grease-head. Now my dad, for instance…”

“Jen. Yap it.” Amethyst turned to Peridot. “Come on, bud. Go do your thing.”

Peridot hung her head and walked out of the bathroom towards the staircase. She climbed up the steps with a heavy heart and paused in front of their classroom. The strings in her hand felt weird and she didn’t want to scam her new friends.

But were they really her friends?

True, she had spoken to Sapphire last night and it had seemed as if they had known each other for ages… and the others were kind of nice to her, compared to how they seemed to loathe the others. Peridot sighed and hugged herself in the doorway. What kind of a class president was she if she did things like that to win the respect of her classmates, betraying those who were actually nice?

“Peridot.” Came a voice behind her, and she turned around to see Jasper standing there. She was alone.

“Hmm?” The small girl could hardly get any sound out of her throat.

“Give those to me, I’ll sneak them in their bags.” Jasper held out her hand.

“No!” Peridot exclaimed.

“It’s okay.” Jasper reassured her. “Amethyst isn’t the boss here.”

“You’ll get suspended.” Peridot mumbled.

“Well, it’s not that bad.” Jasper smiled. “At least pulling these kinds of stunts will help the rest not getting kicked out. Give me those strings, Peri…”

The small girl gave her the prank strings and Jasper placed them neatly in the bags of the new girls. Then, she turned back to a trembling Peridot.

“Being independent… learning to stand on your own feet… you can’t do that if you keep being scared of Amethyst.” She said, quietly. “Don’t try to live up to her expectations, your own are much more important.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because I cherish people who can stand up for themselves.” Jasper answered, walking towards the stairs. “And some of those people just need a little nudge.”

Peridot stared after the big girl and later walked down the steps herself, never noticing that she was being observed.

Pearl and Lapis, who had gone up early, came from behind a whiteboard.

“What was that all about?” Pearl asked.

“Well… whatever it was, let’s see how it goes.” Lapis answered. “I think they’re trying to frame us; this is just getting interesting.”

“I thought Peridot liked Sapphire… Why would she frame us?” Pearl frowned. “Unless they’re using her…”

“They probably are. Little coward.” Lapis sighed. “Well, what can we do… let’s see what they have in store for us.”

And they took another turn around the building before the bell rang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: TBA


	5. Secret Strings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Complications arise when the trick is played in Yellow Tail's class and the teachers find out who really framed the new girls. Will they face suspension?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm really tired so don't mind the typos too much :_D I'm happy this fanfic is getting so many positive responses. Thank you! Have a wonderful day and keep being awesome.
> 
> Words in this chapter: "Zorras" (From the Spanish "Zorra" which translates to "female fox" but actually means "bitch").

** Chapter Four **

** Secret Strings **

 

 **B** iology class started right after break and everyone sat down excitedly, wondering what was going to happen. Yellow Tail walked in, carrying his usual leather bag that looked like something a creepy doctor from the 1900’s would have. He put it down on the table and mumbled almost inaudibly that they had to open their books at page thirty-two.

No one really paid attention in Biology as it was a theoretical class where Yellow Tail mostly read from the book and then made people come up to the blackboard to whisk down calculations. It was a tiresome hour which no one except Peridot really enjoyed.

“Okay.” Amethyst whispered to Jenny. “On my mark… Go!”

Jenny pulled one of the invisible strings attached to the shutters and those fell down with a clatter, leaving the classroom in a state of semi-darkness. Peridot and Sapphire jumped, but Yellow Tail shrugged and muttered that someone should pull it up again. But he hadn’t finished his sentence yet when Buck gave a tug at his string and the plastic skull on top of the cupboard came clashing down, rolling over the floor on an ominous way.

“Oh my God! The classroom’s haunted!” Kiki cried, playing her part.

“Don’t be silly.” Yellow Tail mumbled. “I won’t…” But just as he was going to finish his sentence, an empty chair in the back of the room came shuffling forwards, making a horrible screeching sound. Many covered their ears as it passed them. Jenny shuddered; even if she knew about the trick, it looked quite creepy.

The chair stopped next to Jasper, who was obviously pulling the string. Yellow Tail was frowning and walked towards her, studying her every movement.

“Did you have something to do with this?”

“How could I?” Jasper smirked. “I mean, it’s not like I’m magic, is it?”

The class exploded in laughter but Yellow Tail seemed far from amused. He paced around the class mumbling to himself and then stopped next to Peridot.

“Do you know what’s going on?”

The small girl felt Amethyst’s eyes burning in the back of her neck. She went white and shook her head very quietly. It was probably the first time ever that she had lied to a teacher. She regretted it almost immediately. What if the truth came out? They would never trust her again…

Yellow Tail jumped as one of the bookcases at the end of the room came crashing down, spilling all the contained jars over the floor. Everyone turned around in horror, staring at the mess in front of them. Amethyst looked at Buck, who was fumbling with the invisible strings in his hands, quite frenetically. It had clearly been an accident.

“That’s it. I’m getting someone.” Yellow Tail left the classroom in a hurry and they heard his footsteps dim away in the corridor. For a moment everyone was quiet. Then, Pearl stood up and started clapping slowly, a grin on her face.

“Oh well done, well done!” She said, sarcastically. “A classic trick, one of the finest. Fairly obvious to most teachers but not Yellow Tail. The perfect prank for the perfect dunce.” She placed her hands on her hips and laughed, making everyone stare. Jasper sat back in her seat, looking up and seemed to be enjoying the show. “Did you really think this would work?”

“What? What would work?” Amethyst muttered.

“Framing us. We weren’t born yesterday.” Pearl walked to the front of the class, addressing them as if she were leading a conference. Jasper couldn’t help but admire her ways. “We deal with this at a daily basis. So why don’t you remove those strings you have placed in our bags and own up?”

The class was quiet for a while and then Amethyst turned to Peridot.

“You couldn’t help it, could you?”

Peridot gulped.

“I didn’t do anything!”

“So how do they know about this? You probably blabbed… You always do that. I thought it was too good to be true when Yellow Tail asked.”

Peridot felt tears come up in her eyes. So much for trying to fit in. She could also feel a judgmental stare coming from Sapphire. At this rate she would never make any friends.

“Actually, we caught Johnny Bravo here placing the strings in our bags.” Lapis pointed at Jasper, who raised an eyebrow at the nickname.

Amethyst laughed.

“Of course. You went soft on Peri…”

Jasper stretched her arms lazily and then looked at Lapis.

“Johnny Bravo?”

“Oh Jasper! I’m talking to you!” Amethyst growled.

The big girl stood up quite suddenly and walked over to Amethyst, leaning into her face so that their noses were almost touching.

“Unless you want to eat my fist I suggest you shut up now.” She muttered, and Amethyst leaned back.

“Okay okay…”

Jasper walked back to her seat and sat down as if nothing had happened. Pearl however, let out a snort. The big girl looked at her, surprised.

“Am I funny?” She growled.

“Yes. Yes you are.” Pearl said. “Acting like you’re some kind of thug. Oh well, you probably are…”

But she couldn’t go on as Yellow Tail came bursting in, alongside Vice Principal Maheshwaren and Vidalia. The tall girl sat down quickly as the three of them eyed the class suspiciously.

“Well, Yellow Tail, dear… I think they’ve been playing a trick on you.” Vidalia had been examining the bookshelves and now held a bit of string in her hand.

“Whoever is responsible for this, come forward.” Vice principal Maheshwaren said, a frown on her face. “And quickly, we don’t have all day.”

The class kept quiet, but Peridot was trembling like a leaf. If she owned up she’d never be a model student and everything she worked for so hard would be completely useless. But on the other hand, Jasper was facing suspension…

“Nobody?” Vice principal Maheshwaren looked mad. “I guess I’m going to have to punish the entire class then… How about you replace all the things you’ve broken by pulling down that bookcase?”

Everyone gave gasps of horror. Some of the artifacts were really expensive.

“Fine… yeah… whatever…” Jasper stood up. “It was me, can we go now?”

“Jasper Daskalakis, I should have known.” Miss Maheshwaren said, as Vidalia shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid this is all we have been able to do for you until now. This was the final stroke…”

“Suspension.” Jasper said. “Let’s do this.”

Pearl stared, shocked at the girl’s coolness about the situation. Somewhere deep down she felt a prickle of admirance for the composure she was holding. The rest of the class was very quiet.

“Come on.” Miss Maheshwaren said. “Let’s go to the office…”

Jasper was about to leave when Peridot stood up.

“NO! WAIT!” She cried. “IT WAS ME!”

Vidalia looked at her, incredulous.

“What??”

“Jasper’s just covering for me, she doesn’t want me to be seen as a bad role model… truth is, I made a mistake…” Peridot went on as everyone was gaping at her lies. She had never lied so perfectly before. “I wanted to play a trick and I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Vidalia shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Peridot… But I’m finding this very hard to believe. Are you sure you’re not just covering for Jasper?”

“No.” Came Amethyst’s voice. Everyone turned towards her. “She’s covering for me. She and Jasper both are. It was me, I thought of everything. So I’m the one to punish, not them.”

“This I find easier to believe.” Vidalia muttered.

“Well…” Miss Maheshwaren stepped forwards. “I guess Jasper’s off the hook and you…” She looked at Amethyst. “You’re not up for suspension yet… but you are going to have to do some community service and pay for the damage you’ve done.”  
Amethyst nodded and hung her head while Jenny clapped her sympathetically on the back.

“I’m real proud of you.” She whispered.

At that moment, the bell for the end of the class rang and Miss Maheshwaren sighed.

“Now that this has been cleared up… don’t play tricks on teachers. Just don’t do that.” And she left, followed by Vidalia and Yellow Tail.

Jasper turned slowly towards Amethyst and smiled.

“Thanks lil’ sis.”

“No prob, big sis.” Amethyst sighed. “Paying for the damage, though…”

“We’ll chip in.” Jasper sighed. “We’ll find a way. It’s gonna be okay.”

Amethyst nodded and then turned to Peridot.

“I’m real sorry.” She muttered. “For being an asshole to you. I’m just scared, you know? Losing my school and my friends…”

“It’s fine.” Peridot sighed. “I guess I should have just… stood up to you.”

“Yeah.” Amethyst grinned. “You should try that sometime.”

Jenny laughed and clapped Peridot on the back, but the small girl was far from happy. She turned towards Sapphire, who was frowning.

“I’m sorry, Sapphire. I know it looks like I tried to get close to you for all the bad reasons. Truth is, I just wanted to be your friend. We have so much in common and I feel I can really connect…” Peridot sighed. “I understand that you don’t want to be friends, though…”

“Damn right we don’t!” Jinju piped up.

“Shut up, Jinju.” Lapis and Akoya said in unison, and the girl looked at them, mighty offended.

“Look…” Sapphire sighed. “I really wanted to be your friend too… All everyone’s been doing since we came here – which is like what? A day? – is fighting. You have just been fighting. I know nobody here is really happy with the current situation and that ‘making the most of it’ doesn’t fit in your personalities. But I’m excited to be here and I want to make friends.” She looked at Peridot. “I’m not mad, I understand your situation. Let’s be friends.”

Peridot smiled brightly and they laughed. Akoya stared at them with a smile and then turned to Pearl.

“Shouldn’t we follow their example?”

“Absolutely not.” Pearl moved away from Jasper, who was standing next to her. “I’m fine not making friends, thank you.”

“Your loss.” Jasper winked at her. “You could have tapped this.”

“I’d rather throw myself down a volcano.” Pearl muttered.

“Yeah… go for the least hot option.” Jasper bit her lip.

“I am going to go now and throw up somewhere.” Pearl walked out of the classroom. “GS, come with me.”

The new girls followed her and the rest of the class stayed behind, staring at each other.

“GS?” Kiki asked, with a frown. “What does that stand for?”

“I don’t know, G-string?” Amethyst chuckled. “We have a new nickname, guys.” She went into fits of laughter at her own joke. Jasper shook her head with a smile. “G-string…”

“Still… they named their group…” Buck snorted. “I mean… what are they?”

“I’ll tell you what they are.” Jasper smirked. “Kis and Winkles and Amarantos… The richest, the most powerful… The daughters of the Diamond Industries. And their group has a name… do you find it strange?”

“If you put it that way… No.” Amethyst laughed.

“Anyway…” Kiki picked up her books. “Let’s concentrate on the next lesson, shall we? We’ve already gotten into enough trouble for one day.”

 

                                      *          *           *

 

Peridot walked out of the school grounds that afternoon, wondering if she had already missed the bus. She didn’t live far and mostly walked, but taking the bus was also nice once in a while.

“Peridot.”

The small girl turned around and saw a very big and expensive SUV parked at the sidewalk. Sapphire stood next to it, about to get in.

“Oh hi.” Peridot smiled. “Going home?”

“Actually no.” Sapphire grinned. “We’re going shopping.”

“Shopping?”

“At Beach City Boulevard.”

“B… Beach City… Boulevard?” Peridot knew it was the richest neighborhood their small city had. No one from their school could afford even a coffee there.

“Yup. Wanna come with?” Sapphire smiled. Akoya pulled her head out of the window and grinned.

“It’s fine, come with us. We know a great Ice-Salon!”

“I… Ice-Salon?”

“Do you even speak English? Get into the fucking car now.” Jinju said, impatiently.

“Oh shut up… Bitchian Dior.” Lapis muttered. Everyone looked at her and she shrugged. “What? It was a good one.”

“Come on, nerd.” Pearl smiled. “Get in. Let’s show you what it’s like to have fun.”

Peridot climbed into the SUV, squishing herself next to Sapphire in the back seat. Pearl stepped on the gas and off they went, leaving the school behind. The small girl stared out of the window as the outside started to change, breathing in the clean smell of a relatively new car. They passed over the bridge leading out of East Delmarva and soon they were driving past the palm trees that connected their part of town with the Beach City Boardwalk. Peridot stared in awe at the tall hotels and the many shops that flashed their goods to the buyers. She didn’t come there very often.

Pearl parked in front of one of the malls, sliding elegantly into a VIP parking place. The girls climbed out of the car and walked steadily towards the big doors that led to the Diamond Mall, their heels clattering on the pavement. Peridot followed them in a trot, trying to keep up with their wide strides. Sapphire kept next to her, as the others walked in front.

The Diamond Mall looked nothing like your average shopping mall, it was so much more than that. Peridot’s mouth fell open when they arrived in the vestibule, where she could see a tall fountain made of solid gold, or so it seemed. A big marble staircase led up to the other floors and next to it were up to eight lifts which did the same job. The small girl gasped and looked at Sapphire, who was laughing.

“I take it you’ve never been here before…”

“How could I…” Peridot whispered. “I probably couldn’t even afford going to the bathroom here…”

Akoya chuckled and pressed on the elevator button.

“Well Peri, you don’t have to worry… it’s our treat today.”

Peridot’s eyes widened as Sapphire and Akoya pushed her into an elevator and they all went up to the fashion department. The three of them hopped excitedly between the racks, Sapphire commenting about every lovely gown. Akoya merely smiled, but Peridot was amazed at the quality and the prices. Pearl and Jinju stayed a little behind, speaking softly to each other.

“Do you want to get a dress for the fundraiser here?” Jinju was asking, as she checked out a purse.

Pearl sighed and ran her hand through a string of black dresses.

“I’m not sure… I usually buy them overseas. Asian stores usually have clothes that fit me better…”

“Bleh.” Jinju pulled her skirt down, over her legs, as if she were trying to hide them. “I’m actually the one with the ancestry and I don’t have to shop overseas. My thunder thighs won’t let me.”

“That’s nonsense, Jinju.” Pearl sighed. “You have a distorted image of yourself. Your legs are fine.”

Jinju sighed and took out her phone, scrolling through her Instagram.

“I look fat in all of my pictures.” She muttered. “Look, I’m getting less likes than last year…”

“You actually keep a count of that?” Pearl asked, surprised. She knew her friend was a social media addict, but she didn’t know it went so far.

“Doesn’t everybody…” Jinju sighed. “I swear to God, sometimes I’m happy we have arranged marriages. I’d never be able to get someone like this…”

Pearl shook her head, wondering when Jinju would understand how devastating it was to talk about herself like that. After years of insisting, she had given up on conveying her thoughts to that girl. Jinju Ki was just too stubborn.

Sapphire grabbed Peridot’s arm and pulled her over to the great variety of golf suits that were presented in the sports section. Pearl and Jinju followed at their own pace, checking the quality of the suits.

“I need a new one.” Jinju muttered. “Mine got really muddy the other day…”

“They’ve got them in maize-yellow over there.” Pearl pointed out and Jinju headed towards that section. Peridot stared and then turned to Sapphire.

“Can’t she just wash her suits?”

“Yeah, she normally does.” Sapphire explained. “But if the dry-cleaners can’t get all the spots out, she’ll buy a new one. She doesn’t want to look shabby or anything.”

“Wow.” Peridot sighed. “I wish my life were that simple.”

“Don’t be mistaken.” Lapis’ voice came form behind them and the small girls turned around. She had a dark look on her face. “Our lives aren’t simple. Do you really think having money makes things easier?”

Peridot felt her nervousness slip away and stood up, proudly.

“Well… yes.” She answered. “You never have to worry about your bills and you can amount to anything you like in life.”

Sapphire looked away but Lapis and Akoya, who was standing nearby, snorted loudly.

“Not worry about bills…” Akoya said.

“Amount to anything…” Lapis added, and both of them laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Peridot asked, through grinded teeth.

“Well, let me tell you.” Pearl walked towards them, from the sports isle, followed closely by Jinju – who had a new suit in her hands. “If your parents lose their job, they can get another one… there may be some difficulties, but it is possible. If our stocks come crashing down, we can go from all to nothing in a couple of seconds, and our life and reputation would be over.”

“Not to mention the whole ‘doing what you want’ thing…” Lapis growled, staring down at Peridot, menacingly. “We are given a credit card in our hands and all the material stuff in the world is available. But as for our dreams, we have none… We can’t have them, they’re forbidden. If we follow our dreams, Peridot Edelmann, our stocks crash.”

Peridot looked away, her hands trembling.

“I… didn’t think of it that way.”

“That’s okay!” Sapphire smiled. “And come on! Jinju, go pay for that suit and let’s go have some ice-cream! I’m dying for some, come on!”

Jinju muttered something and walked to the elegant counters, swiping her credit card out of her purse. Pearl and Akoya shared a smile, knowing how much Jinju liked buying new gear.

“I think she’d be happiest as a Barbie-doll, always a new outfit for a new day.” Pearl grinned.

“I don’t know, Pearl.” Akoya shook her head. “I wouldn’t want her for a toy… She’d try and bite my head off.”

Pearl chuckled and squeezed her shoulder.

“You know she’s found of you.”

“No, she isn’t.” Akoya muttered.

“Sure she is.” Pearl smiled. “Think of the details, she used to defend you a lot in kindergarten.”

“That’s like like twelve years ago or something…” Akoya mumbled, shuffling with her feet. “She has changed.”

“She’s just insecure.” Pearl assured her. “Under that coat of bitterness there’s a scared and unhappy girl who just wants to be loved.”

“Fancy you talking like that.”

“I can do that sometimes.”

The girls quieted up when Jinju came back, carrying her new goods in one of the store’s bags. She raised an eyebrow.

“Ice-cream?”

 

 

                              *                *                *

 

Amethyst and Jasper sat on a bench on the boardwalk, staring at the ocean in front of them. The shorter girl sighed and leaned back, letting her hair flow over the bench. Jasper grimaced and kept staring ahead.

“It’s no use.” She said, softly. “We can’t fight them, we have to work together.”

“I don’t really want to, they’re a bunch of _zorras_.” Amethyst groaned. “They have like… everything. I want to have everything.”

“But you can’t. Not now, at least.” Jasper stretched her arms and smiled, looking at Amethyst. “Staying in school is a priority.”

“How can you say that when you would have let yourself been kicked out today?” Amethyst growled, punching Jasper in the arm. The big girl laughed and petted her head.

“You know my future is taking over my dad’s garage.” She said. “I don’t need school for that. It’s nice to stay on, but if I get kicked out, the damage is less than if any of you have to go.”

“Sometimes I wonder if you even want a different future.” Amethyst sighed.

“Sometimes I do to.” Jasper said. “But I can’t really afford to dream about it when real life’s happening all around me.”

“You know we kinda look up to you, right?” Amethyst asked and Jasper stared at her, not knowing what to answer. “Well, stop acting as if your future isn’t important, ‘cause it is. You can’t really want to be an example for the rest of us if you don’t give a shit about yourself.”  
“I never asked to become an example. You guys are idiots for seeing me as one…”  
“It doesn’t matter if you want it. The truth is that you are. So now you gotta live with that and take care of yourself, or you’ll be sending us the wrong message.”

Jasper laughed loudly.

“You sneaky bastard.”

“Speaking about sneaky bastards, what’s with your advances towards the leader of the G-Strings?” Amethyst chuckled.

“What are you talking about…” Jasper stared.

“Oh come on! You’ve been hitting on her for two days straight!” Amethyst sniggered. “Or should I say, two days gay…”

“Stop it, I haven’t.” Jasper pulled out her phone. “It’s just fun to annoy people and she really gets annoyed when I do that.”

“Well…” Amethyst narrowed her eyes. “If you two end up dating, the Diamonds will be sure to pull them out of school…”

“That won’t happen. And even if it would work, they’d just be kicking us out sooner.” Jasper crossed her arms. “No… if we want the Diamonds to leave our school alone, we gotta convince them that it’s not a good investment…”

“Like how?” Amethyst asked, with a frown.

“I don’t know.” Jasper said. “But I’m going to find out.” And she stood up, cracking her stiff neck. “Coming, Ame? I’m going to get some pizza.”

Amethyst stood up and followed, wondering what Jasper had in mind. It took her some time to come up with adequate plans, but once they were there, they worked as a charm. She grinned, glad that her friend was putting so much energy into something that had seemed lost to most of them from the very beginning. But that was just Jasper… she never gave up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Fundraiser
> 
> Jasper and Pearl meet at an unexpected place. Could this lead to a collaboration?


	6. The Fundraiser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Diamond Industries organise a Fundraiser and Jasper serves as a waitress. Both Jasper and Peridot start realizing something about themselves which they hadn't expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God, finals. I hope they went well with you guys. I've been trying to write this chapter for ages, but I got caught up with schoolwork. I'm kinda free now, so I've been able to finish the chapter!!! I'm sorry it took so long and don't worry, it will come back on a regular basis. 
> 
> Great news!!! My bae has started making illustrations for this fic, so that's another thing I hope you'll enjoy. I'm going to leave a few links below so you can check out her work:
> 
> Her Deviantart: http://caspisan.deviantart.com  
> Her Main Tumblr: http://princessbara.tumblr.com  
> Her Comic: https://witch-up-official.tumblr.com
> 
> Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!!! Have a great day and keep being awesome!!!

**Chapter Five**

**The Fundraiser**

 

 **R** uby sighed as she peered around the corner of the school building. It was break time and she had been playing basketball with Jenny, Kiki, Buck, Sour Cream and Amethyst. Jasper had been sitting under the net, glaring at the schoolyard most of the time. But Ruby had gotten bored so she had slipped away and was now watching Sapphire and Peridot, who were sitting on the little stone bench next to the football field. Ruby grimaced: not that you could call a couple of faded-paint lines on the concrete ground a football field.

Sapphire had been showing Peridot her Tarot cards and the girl had been staring in bewilderment, sipping from her Capri-Sonne as everything was carefully explained to her.

“You see? It’s quite easy once you get the hang of it.”

Peridot picked up a card that looked like some kind of priest sitting on a throne.

“Really? ‘Cause I’m supposed to be smart and I still don’t get it.” She put the card down. “How can you predict the future with some images? There’s no science to prove it.”

“Well.” Sapphire smiled. “There’s no science to prove that it can’t be done either. So that’s why it _lives on_. And it’s really fun to do, so that makes it acceptable.”

“I guess you’re right.” Peridot looked down at the cards. “Okay, read me.”

Sapphire laughed.

“Pick three cards.”

Peridot stared at the deck and then grabbed three at random, flipping them over and showing them to Sapphire. She narrowed her eyes.

“So you have the Chariot…” She muttered “… and the Star… and the seven of Swords…” She looked at Peridot. “It’s not going to be easy for you but you are going to overcome those obstacles in front of you. Beyond those lay promises of a bright future, but only hope and hard work will get you there. There’s something you desire and you’re probably going to attempt to get it… and it’ll go wrong, but don’t give up. They key is not to give up, because there’s always hope.” She looked away and Peridot gulped.

“You got all that from three cards?”

“It’s kind of my thing.”

Suddenly Ruby came tearing around the corner and slumped down on the floor in front of them, looking eagerly at Sapphire.

“Can you read me?” She asked, eyes shining. Peridot looked taken aback, but Sapphire just smiled.

“Of course, Ruby. Pick three cards.”

“Hmmm…” The small girl looked at the deck. “Hmmmmmmm…”

Peridot rolled her eyes but Sapphire kept patient, as if she had somehow known exactly how Ruby was going to react. Her dark eyes were moving keenly from one card to the other and finally she picked three at the bottom of the deck, looking back at Sapphire. “These three?”

“These three are perfect.” The small girl smiled and lay the cards in front of her, spreading them evenly on the bench. “Oh…” She muttered. “You’ve got the Chariot as well… And… Oh dear, the Moon… and the Ace of Pentacles.”

“What? What does it mean? You said the Chariot was overcoming obstacles… but… the others?” Peridot bobbed up and down, excitedly.

“Hey, stay out of my future or eat my fist.” Ruby grumbled. Sapphire laughed.

“Well…” She said. “You will make mistakes, and you will be confronted with deceptions.”

Ruby started sweating nervously.

“Deceptions? Mistakes?” She gulped. “What does the other one mean? Is it good?”

“Ace of pentacles. It’s okay… you will triumph.” Sapphire smiled, causing Ruby to frown.

“But…” The small girl looked at her. “I don’t get it…”

“The future is not just one thing.” Sapphire said, solemnly. “It can go many ways, and it’s in your own hands. That’s why you get different readings. You can suffer and yet be happy, you can triumph but still make mistakes. All you have to do is live your life the best you can, and learn from those things that go wrong.” She smiled again at the terrified Ruby. “Nothing to worry about.”

The little girl didn’t seem too convinced, but she got up and muttered an ‘okay’, before heading back to her basketball game.

Peridot sighed.

“She’s so weird… at one moment she’s the one holding you while Amethyst steals your lunch money and at the other moment she’s all meek and asking you to read her future…”

Sapphire sighed as well and smiled at Peridot.

“People, just like the future, aren’t made out of just one thing. You’re the kind of person who’s lunch money gets stolen, and yet… I’ve seen different things in your future too.” She laughed at the girl’s bewildered expression. “Oh Peridot… you’re book smart for sure, but that’s not the limit of your capabilities. You and Ruby would make up a good team, as she’s street-smart.”

Peridot grumbled and concentrated on her Capri-Sonne, sipping it up and making a vicious slurping sound.

“Anyway.” She said, throwing the empty package in the garbage. “Shall we meet up today after school for our science project?”

Sapphire shot her a guilty look.

“I can’t…” She muttered. “I have to go to a Fundraiser tonight.” She saw Peridot’s eyes widen. “But you can totally be my plus one if you want to!”

“Wow, I…” The small girl gulped. “That would be really cool!!! But… is it okay? I mean, I’m not…”

“It’s fine!” Sapphire laughed. “I’m allowed to have a plus one! Besides, you’ll probably find it boring…” She sighed. “Your life is so much more fun, trust me.”

 

                                  *             *              *

 

Pearl straightened her dress as she stood in front of the mirror in Jinju’s room. She sighed, brushing off a small thread that had somehow got stuck there. She turned towards her friend.

“Eyeliner?”

Jinju handed her the requested item and smiled.

“I’m glad the Fundraiser’s tonight.” She confessed. “I’ve been building up tension for weeks.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll look fab in the pictures…” Pearl sighed.

“That was not what I meant.”

“I know. I was kidding.” Pearl applied her eyeliner neatly and turned back to Jinju. “I wish there wasn’t a Fundraiser.”

“Pearl! That’s so selfish! Think of the poor kids in Africa…” Jinju cried.

“For flip’s sake, Jinju. That’s not what I meant.” Pearl laughed a little. “Raising the money is fine. Going there is what bothers me.” She fixed her bangs by adding an extra pin in them. “I’m not in a very good mood lately.”

“It shows.” Jinju adjusted her boobs in her bra without discretion. “I’m in a bad mood too, having to go that school and all. But this is our night, Pearl. We can do our thing tonight… this is who we really are.”

Pearl smiled and checked her reflection in the mirror one last time.

“I guess you’re right.”

 

*             *              *

 

Jasper heaved a deep sigh and pulled on the jacket that came with her suit. It wasn’t hers but she couldn’t help thinking it fitted almost to perfection… if she were a wealthy gentleman from the past century. But the suit wasn’t hers, she had just obtained it for a small job that evening.

Her father came walking in through the door, his hands covered in grease. He looked at her and smiled.

“Why, Jasper…” He laughed. “Didn’t they have dresses in your size?”

She laughed as well.

“It’s for a waiter’s job tonight.” She explained. “Everyone has to wear a tux, the female cut just wasn’t in my size…”

“Oh boy…” He said, slumping down on the couch wearily. “You really do have a strong build.” He frowned. “Sometimes I worry about your chances to get a man… You scare the crap out of the most of them…”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Jasper tied her hair back into a high ponytail. “I have no intention of getting a man.” She laughed and turned towards the door. “I have to go now, or I’ll be late. Make sure you have some dinner…” And she left.

Her father hesitated for a while, letting the words sink in, and then he called after her:

“Did… did you have some dinner?”

Jasper, already on her motorbike, pulled a thumbs up.

“Yep.” She lied.

 

And she drove away, taking the first turn in order to get on the ring way that surrounded Beach City and connected the suburbs with the other part of town. Her father worried far too much; to be fair, Jasper believed he should be more worried about himself at this point. He overworked in order to keep their lives running.

“Well.” She muttered to herself as she took yet another turn to where the boulevard was located. “At least if I get kicked out of school, he won’t have to work so hard anymore for I’ll be able to help him.”

She didn’t expect her heart to sink as she heard herself say that out loud. As she parked in front of the place where she had to be, Jasper wondered about the fact that she might have to leave school. She cared, she knew she cared.

The event where she was working was hosted at a big cultural center, and the music could be heard from the parking lot. Some guests had already arrived, but they were early for the staff wasn’t prepared yet. Jasper climbed up the steps and went inside, feeling slightly taken aback by the beautiful lights hanging everywhere. It was an oriental theme and they had decorated the place with many paper lanterns. A soft tune was playing and it smelled sweet, as if someone had been baking cakes there all afternoon.

“What a life.” Jasper muttered, and walked towards the bar at the entrance to enquire about that night’s job.

After she had received her instructions, she joined a team of waiters and waitresses and they headed to the kitchen in the basement in order to get the first trays laden with champagne and snacks. Jasper felt her stomach rumble and regretted not having had dinner that evening.

At the signal from their coordinator, the waiters walked upstairs. Jasper lay her tray down neatly on one of the tall tables and looked around before getting the next one. What seemed like a fairly quiet place before was now completely full of guests in flashy outfits. The banner of the event hung on the wall, surrounded by paper lanterns. “Amaranto Fundraiser” it read, and Jasper frowned for the name was slightly familiar. It had also sounded familiar when she had applied for the job, but she couldn’t quite grasp it. Then it hit her, as loud and clear, just as she spotted two familiar faces across the large room.

The big girl wanted to kick herself for not realizing she was working for the Diamond Industries. Jinju would never let her live it down, and her smirk from the far sight of the room made her want to snap her long neck. Jasper scowled at her and went to get that second tray, but when she came back, Jinju had crept closer and Pearl was with her.

 

*             *              *

 

Pearl had not been paying attention, lost in her own thoughts, when Jinju elbowed her in the ribs.

“Oh my stars, what?” The tall girl snapped as her friend pointed at the far side of the room. Pearl looked towards that direction, annoyed, but then she spotted Jasper and her heart skipped a beat. “Fuck!” She blurted and a couple of guests turned around, surprised.

“Pearl!” Jinju looked scandalized. “What the…?”

“Shh…” Pearl turned around and pretended to be fascinated by a plastic plant. “Don’t let her see us.”

“What do you mean…” Jinju mumbled. “This is the perfect moment to give her a hard time, let’s go!”

“No.” Pearl said curtly.

“Why not?” Jinju peeked at her. “Why is your face this red?”

Pearl blushed even more and hid behind a table.

“Is it red?”

Jinju groaned.

“Pearl, please don’t tell me you’re having one of those girl crush moments.”

“It’s called being gay.” Lapis appeared from behind a curtain. “You’re gay, Pearl.”

“Where did you come from?” Jinju exclaimed.

“From behind the curtain, you just saw.” Lapis muttered back.

“Yeah but… why?”

“’Cause I hate people and it’s quiet there.” Lapis sniffed around. “I got hungry, though…” She walked away in order to find a snack.

Jinju grabbed Pearl by the arm and started walking towards Jasper, who had just reappeared from the kitchen, carrying another tray. Pearl went white and tried to fight, but was unsuccessful. When Jinju finally let her go, they had already reached Jasper.

The big girl sighed, knowing what was about to come and she wasn’t wrong. Jinju raised an eyebrow.

“So, Jasper.” She started. “Isn’t this funny? And Ironic?”

“Why so?” Jasper growled.

“You’re always so big and scary…” Jinju sighed. “But you can’t be that here, can you? You look quite tame in that tux – doesn’t she, Pearl?”

Pearl was finding it real hard to concentrate at that moment. Sweat was running down her temple and her cheeks were burning. She couldn’t quite place her feelings, but she felt very uncomfortable indeed.

“I can snap your neck in half with my bare hands on Monday morning.” Jasper hissed at Jinju, who took a step backwards.

“C’mon, Pearl.” The red-headed girl muttered to herself. “Get yourself together.”

“You know you can’t do that!” Jinju kept sneering. “Because they’ll be after your head. Isn’t it funny? This is just like the future will be… me, the employer… and you the employee… And nothing in the world can change that hierchy…”

“Jinju.” Pearl muttered dryly. “Go take a walk.”

Jinju hissed something but walked away in order to join Lapis. Jasper stared at Pearl, her eyes narrowed.

“Decided to call off your minion?”

“Jinju can be overwhelming sometimes.” Pearl sighed. “And you’re working here so she shouldn’t bother you.”

“So, a fundraiser, huh?” Jasper muttered, looking at the girl. “Why do you even do these things, aren’t you R – I – C – H ?”

“It’s for C – H – A – R – I – T – Y.” Pearl retorted. “We’ve already put in half. The rest was raised by the guests.”

“Let me guess, this is for some Third World Country you’ve never been to?”

“Yeah.”

Jasper frowned.

“People struggle everywhere.” She murmured, straightening the tray on the table in front of them. “You have no idea how some people live…”

“Do you mean – like you?” Pearl sighed. “At least you have a roof over your head.”

“Humans need food as well.” Jasper said. “Although by the looks of you, I’m not sure you knew that.” She pulled the snack tray closer. “You should eat this…”  
Pearl slapped her hand away.

“Stop fooling around.”

“Fine.” Jasper heaved a deep sigh. “Amaranto Fundraiser, do it your way.”

“Why did you even come?” Pearl muttered. “It’s not like we’re friendly to each other.”

“Because I didn’t realize it was your family’s fundraiser.” Jasper answered, adjusting a shrimp on one of the pieces of toast. “Not even I am that desperate.”

“Yet here you are.” Pearl looked back to the other side of the room where Jinju was taking a selfie with a reluctant Lapis.

“It’s all a game for you, isn’t it?” Jasper growled, looking at her. She turned around, surprised. “You go through life, not giving a shit about anything and not having to do your best in anything because your mother has already paved a way for you. All you’ll ever have to do is choose what color shoes you want. You coming to our school is just a lesson from your dear mother in how to gloat over those who don’t have any privileges. Do you think it’s easy to be us?”

Pearl came closer to Jasper, her face inches from hers.

“Do you think it’s easy to be me?” She hissed. “Do you think I’m all about fashion and accessories? I have to take over the Diamond Industries, can you even start to imagine what that means?” Pearl took a glass of champagne from the table and started walking away, heading for the door that lead to a garden in the back. A few guests had been smoking outside, but it was pretty chilly so no one seemed to want to stay there really long. Pearl shivered as she stepped outside. She turned around to see Jasper storming after her.

“So you’re meaning to tell me that taking over a gazillion dollar corporation is a bad thing?” She snapped at her. “Why, will you have to use math? Is that something your pretty head can’t handle?”

“I happen to be good at all my subjects.” Pearl looked away. “You don’t understand, you never will… You commoners think being rich is all fun and games, you never realize it’s hard work, day after day.”

“Well, let me tell you what hard work is!” Jasper shouted. “Hard work is getting up at five am every morning to clean a gas station and then return home at eight to get the garage running! Hard work is handling cars and clients from eight till six and then heading off to a nearby school to clean from nine to eleven! Hard work, my dear, is doing all that, being a single father and still not having enough money to pay the god damn bills! Hard work is wanting to send your daughter to college and her not even being able to finish high school…” She sighed and looked away, as Pearl bit her lip. She had never imagined Jasper as someone who could have such an outburst, but yet there she was, having just screamed certain details of her life she probably would never have shared with someone like her. Pearl sighed.

“I’m sorry.” She muttered. Jasper looked up.

“You’re sorry?” She snapped. “Good for you.” She sat down at a small fountain. The water was running slowly into the basin and it looked like a poor attempt of a spray. Pearl walked over slowly and sat down next to her. They sat there for a moment in silence, next to each other, listening only to the soft sound of trickling water and the muffled voices of the people behind the glass doors.

“I… kinda envy you.” Pearl said, then, making Jasper stare. “You’re free, even though you don’t have much money. I have to take over the Diamond Industries… I don’t get to dream about my future job… I don’t get to choose my life. You do…”

Jasper sighed, and looked down.

“I don’t get to choose either.” She murmured, drawing a line in the sand with her foot. “I have to help my father with his garage. He needs help, he can’t afford anyone… I don’t know why he wants to send me to college, it’s an impossible dream of his. But yeah… I’m not free.”

“Looks like we’re on the same ship.” Pearl said, softly. “I mean; our lives are very different but in this we can relate.”

“I’m not sure how that helps anybody, though.” Jasper muttered. She looked up, suddenly. “I don’t usually tell my shit to people, so if you say anything about this, I’ll snap…”

“… my neck. Yes, yes I know.” Pearl waved her away. “I’m thinking.”

“What are you thinking?” Jasper frowned.

“I’m thinking how I can make time go fast.” Pearl stood up. “I’m not in the mood for this event.”

“Well, neither am I, but at least I’m getting paid for it.”

“Not if you keep sitting in the garden.”

 

_"I don't get to choose either."_ (Image artist in description)

“Shit!” Jasper stood up and hurried back inside, making Pearl laugh. She was such a remarkable person. The tall girl leaned back against the fountain wall, her head racing with strings of thoughts that split into a dozen ideas. From the beginning she had known exactly what the situation was at East Delma High: Jasper was their fearsome leader, Amethyst her sidekick and the rest were just the gang that followed. All they wanted was to kick Pearl and the others out, and to stop the Diamond Industries from taking over the school. Pearl sighed and wondered if she would have been much different if she had had the misfortune of being in their situation.

“Hey bitch.” Pearl looked up to see Akoya approaching her. The blue-haired-girl sat down next to her and smiled. “Sorry, I got caught up in the lingo of the unwealthy.”

“Yeah, I think Bitch is attached to a larger lingo.” Pearl laughed.

“I guess.” Akoya sighed. She looked at the red-haired-girl. “Poor Lapis has been kidnapped by Jinju and they’re having a selfie-party.”

“Jinju and her selfies.” Pearl sighed. “All they do is contribute to her distorted image of herself.”

“She isn’t even that… fugly.” Akoya mumbled. “I mean, it’s just attention…”

“Don’t you believe it.” Pearl muttered. “She really struggles with that.”

“Yeah, okay.” Akoya sighed. “But she’s like… okay-looking. She shouldn’t be having all those negative thoughts.”

“Not that fugly. Okay looking.” Pearl snorted. “If she could hear you know, she’d be freaking out.”

“Oh you know what I mean.” Akoya growled.

“I know you like her.” Pearl said, softly.

“We’re not here to talk about me. What’s up with you and Wonder Woman?” Akoya smiled.

“What do you mean.”

“Didn’t she just come from a stroll in the gardens with you?”

“We just screamed at each other.” Pearl sighed. “God, Akoya… their lives suck and we just made them worse.” Her friend looked up, surprised at the turn of conversation. “I mean… it really messed up their lives, most of them won’t be able to get into another school.”

“Well…” The blue-haired-girl said quietly. “We could team up with them.”

“WHAT.”

“Think about it. Peridot and Sapphire are good friends; she even came to the fundraiser with us. I kinda like this class.”

“You do?” Pearl was surprised.

“Yeah…” Akoya laughed. “I haven’t been this entertained in years. Their invisible-strings trick was hilarious and they’ve been making me laugh ever since. Just last Monday Buck and Sour Cream put a spider in Jinju’s desk and she screamed the crap out of herself. Amethyst kinda ruined lunch for us forever when she added termites to the salad but I have to admit, it was pretty hilarious seeing the whole cafeteria throw around their bowls. And just yesterday when we had gym and we were walking past the bathroom, they were talking about who had nice tits.”

Pearl cringed.

“I remember that.”

“Jenny was like: I like my boobs. And then Amethyst snorted and said Jasper’s were clearly the best…” Akoya laughed. “She may be right, have you seen them? They’re huge.”  
“Jesus Christ, Akoya. You don’t say much, but when you do…” Pearl quieted up. “I get what you say though. They’re kind of… charming. In a low-class, no-upbringing kind of cool way.” She looked at the girl. “I think we need to help them. I don’t really want all this going on any longer.”

“Yeah.” Akoya agreed. “Do we tell them on Monday?”

“Monday it is.”

 

                                *                 *                   *

 

Jasper heaved a huge sigh as she let the warm water run over her body. It had been a long night and she had arrived home at two in the morning, which wasn’t that bad when she went and drink a couple of beers with Amethyst, but when it came to working, it was a little hard. As she stood in the shower, she couldn’t help thinking about her conversation with Pearl in the gardens, by the fountain.

“Would I have been any different?” She whispered to herself, standing still below the flowing water, whilst the heat clouded up the shower cell. She turned the tap to make it warmer and closed her eyes but Pearl wouldn’t leave her mind. She gritted her teeth and tried to concentrate on other things, but the girl’s red hair, always tied neatly in a bun and her blue eyes were planted on her eyes like a permanent tattoo.

“Damn it.” Jasper hissed, slamming the shower wall. “Of all people, not her.”

But the amount she was used to bench press couldn’t keep her mind from slipping away into the kind of things she hadn’t felt in a long time, things that she couldn’t accept herself, things that made her weak and that could beat her if she wasn’t careful.

Jasper slammed against the shower wall with her back, her face in her hands and her body trembling like a volcano about to explode. Maybe it was the fact that she’d probably have to leave East Delma High… maybe it was the glass of gin she had sneakily drank before she had left the Fundraiser… but her heart was pounding and her mind was racing, not letting a single rational thought come through.

It was all fine when they liked her. It was easy, all she had to do was walk into the room and make them gape… but that wasn’t the case with Pearl. She had never once showed interest and that was Jasper’s kryptonite; it was not a situation she was used to deal with. Things were different with people like Jinju, or Peridot, for example. She would never even consider Jinju, and Peridot felt like a small cousin… but Pearl.

Jasper opened her eyes and watched the water stream down her chest, almost in a trance. Pearl was different in every way, and she loved it. Not only was she strong and determined; there was also a gleam of compassion in her eyes, a small flame that the leaders of the Diamond Industries had lost long ago. Jasper shook her head, as if she were trying to get rid of the thoughts that had been building up since the day she met Pearl. One week… one week and she had fallen.

“No…” Jasper whispered, sliding down in the shower and resting her head on her knees. “I can’t let this happen to me, the whole situation is too important for me to screw it up. We have to save East Delma High, I can’t fall for her, it’s not right… it’s not me…” She looked up. She knew it was time to start drowning those strange feelings and concentrate on the bigger issue. “I can never let her know.” She said, with determination. “She won’t know.”

She stepped out of the shower energetically as she turned the water off. She picked up her towel and dried herself off, winking at her reflection in the mirror.

“Looking good, Jasper Daskalakis.” She smiled. “Pearl can’t resist this.” She realized what she had said and quickly punched herself in the face a little to hard. She sighed as she felt a little blood trickle down her nose and stuck a tissue up there, disappointed in herself. “Just put a tissue in it, Jasper.” She muttered. “Don’t let those feelings get out. Trap them like that nosebleed.”

She left the bathroom and walked towards her tiny bedroom, slumping down in bed and pulling the covers over her chest. She curled up in a ball and wondered if anyone could ever guess that those kind of thoughts also came into her mind. Amethyst was her closest friend and she had no idea. Jasper never showed much, and her tough appearance was all that most people ever saw. Sometimes she even managed to convince herself that that was all she really was. But as she lay in bed, twisting and turning and trying not to think about Pearl, she realized she was vulnerable and that those thoughts had to be kept secret if she wanted to stay strong.

For Pearl had become her weakness.

 

 

                                *                 *                   *

The weekend had flown by far too fast, for Amethyst. The girl sighed as she drove off and headed to the Pizzas to pick up Jen. Kiki had her scooter and she preferred to use that, but Jenny hadn’t managed to save up for one. She always insisted on taking their father’s delivery car, but that was out of the question. Even so, Jen didn’t mind riding with Amethyst; they’d been friends for a very long time and they were a good team.

It was different with Jasper. Amethyst admired the girl immensely and wanted to be like her in every way, but she couldn’t connect the way friends should. Jasper stood alone and that’s why she had everyone’s respect, but the purple-haired-girl wondered if she was alright. Jasper was such a mystery, even to them.

As she pulled up in front of the Pizzas, she saw Jenny already waiting in the driveway. She smiled and grabbed her handbag, slipping neatly into the car.

“Hi bitch.”

Amethyst laughed and they drove off, but as they were nearing the school, she saw Jasper walking from the nearby subway station and was surprised, as she never arrived early. Amethyst parked in front of the school and turned around, watching Jasper get in through the gates. She looked pensive. Her usual strut had been weakened and transformed into a tired pace and her usually flawless eyeliner looked quite shaky. Amethyst walked over, frowning.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m great. Never been better.” Jasper smiled a short smile, showing what looked like all of her teeth and Amethyst took a step back at the scary grimace.

“Yeah… right… whatever…” The girl muttered. “You’re early.”

“You’re boring.” Jasper punched her in the arm, some of her normal spunk coming back. “Wanna skip gym?”

“You wanna skip gym?”

“Yeah. I’m not feeling it today.” Jasper walked over to the spot where the gang usually hung out at break time. Amethyst followed her to the large tree and they hid behind the protective screens that had been installed between the plants and the rusty bleachers.

Amethyst lit a cigarette and sighed, watching the smoke vanish behind the screen. Jasper was acting weird.

“You sure you okay?” She asked, once again.

“I’m fine.” Jasper said. “I just need to cool down a bit. But it’s not your problem.”

Amethyst wondered why she was even there, but she smoked in silence as Jasper leaned against the bleachers and took a couple of deep breaths. Her fists were clenched and sweat was running down her temples.

“Should I like… get someone?” Amethyst frowned, after a few minutes.

“No.” Jasper muttered and peeked through the screen at the yard before the school. Gym was going on there and Pearl stood a little apart with Jinju, eyeing the ball suspiciously. They were attempting to play soccer and none of the two seemed very happy about it. Jasper’s heart skipped a beat when Pearl suddenly left Jinju’s side and walked over to Jenny, clearly asking something. The big girl closed her eyes as Jen pointed right at the bleachers and Pearl started heading that way.

“Incoming.” Amethyst muttered, as the red-haired-girl moved past the screen. Jasper didn’t look up, instead she just kept staring at the sandy floor.

“I need to talk to you.” Pearl said, looking right at her.

“Knock yourself out.” Jasper replied, uninterested. The girl raised an eyebrow but turned to Amethyst.

“Alone.”

Amethyst snorted but left, not wanting to be in that awkward situation any longer.

“Whatever, Armani.”

                                                             

_"Of all people, not her."_

 

Pearl stared at Jasper as Amethyst’s footsteps faded and wondered why the girl was acting so strange after they had spoken in the garden at the Fundraiser and actually understood each other a bit. Or maybe Jasper wasn’t kidding about the part where she never told those things to anyone and she was feeling strange because of it. Pearl didn’t know.

“Jasper.” She muttered. “Let’s work together.”

“Whatever.” The big girl answered, drawing circles in the sand with her foot.

“I’m serious. Your request from last week… team up. Let’s do that.” Pearl said, with determination in her voice. Jasper looked up. “I… don’t want to be here. You clearly want to stay. So let’s do this, let’s stop the Diamond Industries from taking over East Delma.”

Jasper stood up, feeling determined herself and noticed that her façade was pretty tight. She allowed herself to smile and held out her hand, spitting in it.

“Let’s do this.”

“Eww, that’s like… super disgusting. I’m not touching that.” Pearl shuddered and grabbed Jasper’s thumb between two fingers, shaking that instead.

“Just tell me when you’re ready to start sharing spit.” Jasper winked at her, making Pearl cringe and walk away. She laughed, feeling her former self coming back. “Remember, this is a promise!”

“It’s a cooperation!” Pearl shouted back. “Let your gang know.”

“Let the G-String society know too! I mean, your pals!” Jasper snorted, wiping her hand off on her jeans. She smiled, leaning back against the tree. It was a good day, the sun was bright, and she really wanted to join gym. As she ran onto the field, hijacking the ball from a protesting Buck, she told herself that it was going to be alright. Those feelings were locked so deep that they were as good as gone.

 

*                 *                   *

 

 

Peridot stared proudly at her Gradient, scrolling through all the pictures she had been featured in at the Fundraiser. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander back to the moment where she and Sapphire had walked in, followed closely by Lapis and Akoya. The twins had disappeared soon enough, seeking lonely spots as they both dreaded crowds. But she and Sapphire had had the time of their lives, and she felt happy. This was what having friends was like.

A small sound of a notification made her snap out of her daydreaming and her heart skipped a beat as she opened a private message from Sapphire. It was a picture that had been taken from her with the rest of them; only Sapphire had cut it out so only Peridot and Lapis were featured on the picture.

“I thought you might want to have this.” She wrote.

Peridot laughed awkwardly and wrote a message back.

“Why?”

“Stop kidding yourself, I’ve seen how you look at her.” Sapphire typed back. “I fully support it.”

Peridot signed out, shaking her head with a smile. That was ridiculous! Liking Lapis? Of course not! That would be weird. She started laughing loudly and prepared for bed, still shaking the idea of.

“That’s ridiculous.” She said, getting under the covers. “Me? Like Lapis? Hah!” She closed her eyes and cursed Sapphire for suggesting something like that. Lapis’ face would not leave her mind now. But then again, did she want that to happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: May the Best Man Swim
> 
> A little rivalry springs up when it comes to deciding who will be leader.
> 
> Also, feel free to check my new Fanfiction Tumblr and Twitter, made to please and to inform when I post updates!!!
> 
> https://i-desire-no-mans-pity.tumblr.com   
> https://twitter.com/Renegade_Porl


	7. May the Best Man Swim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper and Pearl hold a swimming competition in order to decide who will become the leader of both groups. Peridot has some issues in the past she has to overcome and Lapis keeps showing more and more interest in the small girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SH***********T IT HAS BEEN THREE MONTHS!!!
> 
> I'm so sorry for the hiatus, guys. Summer happened and I really didn't have much time to write/upload stuff. I had to fly home and meet everyone there, so it was really hectic. But I'm back now, and even though school has started again and homework is abundant, I promise I'll keep you with a healthy dosis of Diamonds in the Dust. I hope you've had a great summer and KEEP BEING AWESOME!!!
> 
> Notes:
> 
> Which of you got the Mulan reference?
> 
> My bae has drawn the art for this chapter as well!!! I'm really happy to show you guys the cool stuff she draws. Go check her out at:  
> https://caspisan.deviantart.com
> 
> Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter (Remember, it says it's chapter seven, 'cause the prologue counts as chapter one, but it's actually chapter six now).

**Chapter Six**

**May the best man swim**

**P** earl rolled her eyes as they left the stables, the hoofs of their horses clattering rhythmically on the pavement outside. Jinju had insisted to get there on horseback although the idea seemed more than ridiculous.

“I still don’t get it.” Pearl mumbled. “Why couldn’t we just take the car?”

“Because I haven’t exercised Whinnyfred in days myself.” Jinju explained, shortening the reigns as they reached the path. “Mom was all over me.”  
“Still, taking out your dressage horse on a meeting with the gang and forcing me to tag a long seems a little much.” Pearl growled.

“What? You like riding.” Jinju shrugged. “Besides, we’ll look cooler than anyone out there.”

“That’s beside the point.” Pearl muttered, but decided to let it go. There was no realistic way to convince Jinju that this was a bad idea.

They had decided to hold a class meeting that Saturday in order to start a plan that would make the Diamond Industries leave the school. Jasper had told the GS to meet them at the lake beside the junkyard, not far from the school itself. It wasn’t that far by horseback as the junkyard was next to the mountain forest that connected East Delmarva with the hills where they lived, but it sure didn’t seem like a pleasant place to meet up. Even so, Pearl had accepted, and she and Jinju were now heading towards the lake. Lapis, Sapphire and Akoya would go in Akoya’s car and they were meeting them there.

They arrived neatly on time but were surprised, because most of the class was already there. Jenny and Amethyst were sitting on a big flat stone that rose from the shore and protruded slightly over the lake. Buck and Sour Cream had joined them there, alongside Ruby. Peridot and Kiki were just about to climb up when Akoya’s car stopped nearby and Sapphire ran out excitedly. The twins came out a little less enthusiastic but they seemed entertained none the less. Pearl and Jinju got off and tied their horses to a nearby post, slightly loosening their girths and hanging the stirrups over their saddles. They walked slowly towards the rock as Jenny and Amethyst started laughing.

“Horses? Really?”

Pearl shrugged and sat down, but Jinju seemed to hesitate a little.

“Ew.” She muttered. “It’s wet.”

“Of course it’s wet, this is a rock on a lake.” Jenny sighed, turning to Amethyst. “Why was this a good idea again?”

“This is Jasper’s thing.” Amethyst held both her hands up. “I ain’t friends with these nuts.”

“Excuse me.” Jinju sneered. “Nobody wants your friendship.”

“Oh stop it!” Pearl exclaimed, irritated. “We don’t have to be friends; all we need to do is find a solution to our mutual problem.”

At that moment they were startled by the soft purr of a motorbike that approached through the trees. As it came closer, the horses started moving around the tree anxiously. Jinju and Pearl stood up simultaneously to tend to them as Jasper came riding towards the clearing. Her eyes widened as she saw the horses and tried to break at the spot. She almost crashed into the nearby rock and stepped off, looking incredulous. Everyone held their breath.

“The fuck?” Jasper looked at Pearl and Jinju, pointing at the horses.

“Yeah… Don’t look at me, it wasn’t my idea.” Pearl patted her horse on the neck and walked back towards the rock, followed closely by Jinju, who was eyeing Jasper suspiciously. The big girl stood rooted at the spot, her finger still pointed towards the horses, until Amethyst called her over and she snapped out of it.

“Anyhoooo…” Jenny pulled something out of her bag which turned out to be a clipboard with a list attached to it. “Amethyst and I have been coming up on some ideas.”

Jasper grinned.

“Let’s hear them.” She said.

“Well… we got tricks, binding, boycott on all Diamond products…” Amethyst started, but Kiki held up a hand.

“Binding?” She asked, confused. “Do you want to tie someone up?”

“No, I wanna tie someone to someone else.” Amethyst grinned. Kiki just stared at her, confused, but Peridot interrupted.

“We’ll all get suspended with tricks.”

“Not them.” Jenny pointed at Pearl and the others. “If they start playing tricks, they’ll think it’s our bad influence.”

“They’ll never believe it.” Peridot insisted. “Vidalia isn’t that gullible.”

“They’ll own up.” Jenny explained. “Every single time. With a valid excuse like ‘I hate this school’ or whatever. It might work.”

Jasper stood up and everyone went quiet. Pearl raised an eyebrow.

“Boycott.” She whispered, looking over at the trees.

“Don’t you dare!” Jinju growled. “It’s still our future.”

“No, you dumb Barbie.” Jasper sat back down, looking excited. Ignoring Jinju’s splutter, she continued speaking. “We are going to cut back on a few expenses.”

“What do you mean?” Peridot asked, anxiously.

“Think of what you actually pay.” Jasper said, smugly. “There are certain things even a public school will make you pay… like the sports uniforms, lunch and books. But we also hold those annual events like the book sale and the pie baking contest.”

“That’s hardly enough money to make a difference.” Pearl muttered, crossing her arms. “Besides, the Diamond Industries are paying for extra expenses now.”

“It does make a difference.” Peridot smiled. “I understand. You don’t only deprive them from money they actually count on, but you also set out a statement. People in the neighborhood are going to start finding out about this project, and I don’t think they’re going to like it.”

“How so?” Jinju asked, with a sneer.

“You can ask anyone in this neighborhood if they’ve ever been fucked over by the Diamond Industries.” Jenny explained. “Bet ya they have.”

“Okay okay, that’s all great and all!” Kiki interrupted. “But what did you mean with ‘binding’? I still don’t get it.”

“Oh for God’s sake, Kiki.” Amethyst sighed.

“Someone’s gotta fuck someone.” Jasper explained, bluntly, and Kiki’s eyes widened. Pearl heaved a huge sigh while face palming.

“She means two of us have to fake a relationship.” Peridot explained. “One of us and one of them.”

Everyone stared around in silence, some trying to hide their smiles. After a long, uncomfortable moment, Sour Cream broke the peace.

“Who?” He muttered.

“What?”

“Who is going to do that?”

Amethyst stared at Jasper, asking for her opinion, but the big girl was frowning, still wondering herself. Pearl looked at Jinju and Akoya, an eyebrow raised.

“No!” Akoya said.

“Absolutely not!” Jinju crossed her arms. “I’m not going to fake a relationship with one of _them_.”

“Lapis?” Pearl turned towards the other Blue.

“Yeah I don’t think so.” Lapis stretched her arms. “I’d rather jump in this lake. Wait. I think I will.” And she took an elegant summersault off the rock, fully dressed.

“Is… she okay?” Peridot asked, slightly worried.

“Yeah, she does that.” Sapphire sighed. “Constantly. Don’t worry, she’s a star swimmer.”

Peridot looked back at the group, oddly flustered, just as Buck spoke up.

“I could volunteer… you know…”

“You could or you will?” Amethyst growled.

“It depends on them, really…” Buck pointed at the Diamond girls. “Like… who do you want to fake a relationship with?”

“It doesn’t matter, it’s fake!” Jenny exclaimed.

“It does matter, actually.” Pearl pointed out. “You have to actually kiss them; you know…”

“Wait!” Amethyst cried. “This is perfect!”

“What is?” Jenny asked.

“Jasper!” Amethyst exclaimed. “Think about our class, people. Who’s the last person you’d want your rich snobbish daughter to hook up with?”

Jasper looked at her, offended.

“Excuse me, I’m quite the catch.” She growled, flexing her arm. “Have you seen these guns?”

“Exactly.” Amethyst grinned. “You’re a perfect butch, every stuck up parent’s nightmare. C’mon, Jasper, admit it. The Diamonds are gonna freak.”

Jasper frowned again while the rest held their breath, wondering what was going to happen. In the end, the big girl shrugged.

“I’m down for it, I guess.” She mumbled. “But I’m not doing it with Sapphire, she’s like twelve…”

“I’m just one year younger than you guys, you know.”

“You look twelve…” Jasper continued. “And I’m not doing it with Paris Hilton either.” She scowled at Jinju. “No one would ever believe that… Which leaves the twins and Amaranto here.”

“Not it!” Lapis cried, from below.

“Not it either!” Akoya added, hastily.

“That’s not how it works.” Pearl said. “Come on Akoya, you’re open minded and gentle… You could totally pretend you like _that_.” She pointed at Jasper. “I can’t do that; nobody would believe it.”

The Diamond girls stared at her, eyebrows raised.  
“Are you kidding?” Akoya asked. “You’re kidding, right?” She snorted.

“Yeah… Jasper’s like totally your type.” Jinju added. She looked at the big girl with disdain. “I never understood your taste, I swear to God.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Pearl exclaimed, angrily.

“We know your taste, Pearl.” Jinju smiled maliciously. “I can see what you like on Instagram. You follow way too many fitness blogs for someone who never did sports in her life.”

Jasper interrupted by laughing loudly.

“I ain’t even mad.” She cried. “This could work.”

“What do you mean?” Pearl growled.

Jasper winked at her, flexing her arm again.

“I know you want this.”

“Forget it.” Pearl said. “I will cooperate because no one else seems to be down for it. But I will never want you.”

A soft breeze came up from the water and Pearl’s fringe loosened a little, her red curls swiping across her face. Jasper smiled.

“Don’t worry, princess. It’s all pretend.”

 

                               *                *                  *

 

Peridot smiled as she held the new headset in her hands; it was so perfect. It had just come out and it was available in green. She needed a new headset, her old one had cracks in the headphones and the mic had been busted for half a year. She gritted her teeth at the price tag, though. There was no way she could ever afford that… but she wanted them so much!

“Can I help you?” Peridot turned around, her heart beating fast. It was one of those shop assistants who came towards you in that store if you had been hanging around there for more than five minutes.

“N… no, I’m okay.” The small girl stuttered. “I’m just looking.”

She started sweating nervously as the shopkeeper left, wondering if she could just quietly slip away. There was no chance of her buying those headphones at that very moment so she could just as well leave before the entire shop came towards her asking if she needed help of some kind. She was heading towards the exit when she suddenly bumped into someone.

“I’m so sorry!” The small girl exclaimed, but then went white, seeing it was Lapis Lazuli. She gulped and stammered ‘sorry’ three times more before the bigger girl finally reacted.

“Hmm.” She muttered and brushed her arm. She stared at Peridot for a long, uncomfortable time, and then turned towards the headsets. “You’re such a nerd.” She muttered, and walked off, disappearing between a row of washing-machines. Peridot stared after her, her heart pounding in her chest and then turned away, wanting to leave that store as quickly as possible. It had clearly been a bad day to come.

The small girl flinched as she stepped outside and the bright sunlight hit her face, making her cover her eyes. It had been cloudy not ten minutes ago. She made her way towards the bus stop like a mole and sat down on the small bench under the aluminum cover, feeling thankful that there was actually some shadow. Normal people wore sunglasses, but she already had her own glasses to worry about and she didn’t have enough money to get those specific sunglasses with a proper graduation.

Peridot jumped as her phone buzzed and she sighed, disappointed in herself for being scared of her own gadgets. She checked her messages and saw that Sapphire had written something. Peridot held a hand over the phone, sheltering it from the sun, and read:

_Hey Peri, wanna come over for a Pool Party?_

Peridot let out a nervous giggle. She hadn’t been near a pool for a very long time. But then again, what were pool parties in mansions like Sapphire’s? Mostly people showing off their abs and swimwear and no one actually in the water. And she did want to see where Sapphire lived. Peridot shook her head… of course she couldn’t go… Lapis lived there too and nothing would be more awkward than meeting her there after having met in the store not ten minutes ago…

 

_Peridot._

 

Sapphire was so impatient! Peridot sighed, what if she hadn’t brought her phone? But Sapphire was right, the small girl always checked her messages so she knew that she had seen it already.

 

_I don’t know. I mean, isn’t it weird, someone like me coming over?_

 

She typed back, gritting her teeth. If only the bus would come already.

Sapphire responded almost at once.

 

_Just the GS, I promise. Unless you wanna bring peeps._

 

Peridot sighed deeply. Sapphire would never understand how awkward those things were for her. But then again, what was the use of saying she couldn’t come when there was no easy way of explaining the reason why?

 

_Okay._

 

The small girl sighed and got up, as the bus had finally arrived. Sometimes it felt as if she was digging her own grave hanging out with that group of privileged beings. She slid her card across the machine and found a quiet seat behind the driver. She grimaced as she recalled that all her bathing suits had been worn out for years. Maybe that was the priority right now and not a headset.

 

*                *                  *

Jasper groaned loudly as she emerged from under the van. Her father laughed.

“What’s up? Tough leak?”

“No, it’s fixed.” Jasper dried her hands with the cloth that was hanging from her belt.

“Is there something else going on?” He insisted.

“No… I guess school is hard at the moment.” Jasper flung the cloth on one of the work tables and drew her fingers through her hair, loosening the bun she had worn for the job.

“I can always try to help with your homework… you know I’m good at math…” Her father smiled.

“No, it’s fine, really.” Jasper sighed and grabbed her keys. “I’m going for a ride. There’s this school project I need to talk about with… someone.” She put her helmet and jacket on and straddled her motorbike. “Later, dad.”

She drove away, once again leaving her father worried about her mental state. Something just didn’t seem right.

Jasper bit her lip profusely as she turned on the highway and made for the Amaranto Manor. She had played it pretty cool when their fake relationship had been decided, but there was no way in hell she could live with the thought of doing something like that with Pearl of all people. She had only just managed to repress those feelings, for God’s sake! Jasper let out a shout which was drowned in the turmoil of highway sounds. Why did all of this have to be so hard? Just for how long could she keep up a façade?

Pearl’s mansion didn’t have the elegant gardens that Jinju’s house had. Nor did it have all the swimming pools belonging to Blue. But it was huge, far bigger than the other manors on top of the hill, and it had a fountain in the drive-way like in the movies. Jasper parked her bike outside the gates and saw that Pearl was already waiting. She was wearing a short white dress, ruffled at the end, looking more like a small girl of the other century than the daughter of the Mogul that she was. She glanced as Jasper as she heard the bike and walked towards her. The strong girl squinted, noticing something was off.

“Something’s weird… you’re shorter.” She muttered, taking a good look at Pearl.

“Maybe you had to grow to fit more stupid into your brain.” Pearl stretched her arms. “Are we here to talk business or what…”

“I know! You’re not wearing heels!!!” Jasper exclaimed, making Pearl roll her eyes.

“Wow. What a deduction.” She muttered. “Heels make you taller.”

Jasper grinned and flung her arm over Pearl’s head, as if she were trying to measure the difference. Pearl sighed deeply.

“Just because you’re bigger, it doesn’t mean I’m short or anything.” She said through gritted teeth. “Go act like a helicopter elsewhere.”

“Fine.” Jasper straightened her bra strip. “Let’s move along.”

The two girls headed away from the house, towards the woods at the foot of the hill. Pearl swayed a little before taking a forest path and then turned to Jasper.

“We’re all alone now.” She muttered.

“No shit.” The big girl answered, looking at the tree-tops. “Wanna make out?”

“No.” Pearl leant against a tree. “But we might have to do so in a while. My mother’s on a business trip and she has specifically told the staff to keep an eye on me. That’s why I made you come today… Everyone’s working right now.”

“So?” Jasper asked. “Do we make out in the kitchen?”

“I’ve never even been in the kitchen…” Pearl sighed. “No, we’ll go up to my bedroom.”

“How will they even know what happens there?” Jasper wondered.

“I’ll take you in through the backdoor, that always gets them suspicious.” Pearl sniggered. “Would you believe that I sneak out through the front door? It’s less guarded than the rest of the entrances…”

“No, I live in a garage.” Jasper said, wryly.

“Anyway.” Pearl took her by the arm. “I’m going to take you up to my room through the backdoor and that’ll get them interested. Afterwards, we pretend to make out or something…” She waved her hand. “I don’t know.”

“Bossy.” Jasper mumbled, but followed her anyway. The plan seemed good enough if they wanted to make Pink aware of the situation.

They hurried up back to the mansion and Pearl led the bigger girl quietly around the building, making Jasper realize how big it really was. There were at least ten large windows at the side of the structure where they had to scurry past, in order to reach the back door and when they finally did, Jasper thought it looked like a pretty majestic entrance by itself. But rich people did seem to have other standards so maybe it really was a back door to them.

“Come on!” Pearl hissed, and they crossed the threshold, hopping on an elegant parquet floor and hurrying along a corridor that led right to the utility stairs. Jasper followed diligently, trying not to stumble over the steps and soon enough, they had reached another corridor that led straight to Pearl’s room. The thin girl looked around, as if she were checking if the coast was clear, and then opened the door, pushing Jasper in.

The big girl gasped at the size of the room. It was as big as a hotel suite in the movies; it seemed to go on forever. It was a maze of bookcases, awards, soft seats, curtains and electronics that all seemed to have the same color patterns. It was truly amazing that some people could own so much stuff and others so little.

“When you’re done being impressed, come sit on the bed with me.” Pearl muttered, kicking off her sandals and laying down herself. “By now, the maids will have formed a spying committee.”

Jasper wanted to punch herself in the face for the sudden skip that her heartbeat made at the sound of Pearl’s words. It was just for pretend, she told herself. No need to get worked up in any kind of way.

“Literally.” She mumbled.

“What did you say?” Pearl looked up.

“Nothing.” Jasper sat down beside her, rather awkwardly. The matrass bounced up and down as if it were made out of waves.

“Dammit Jasper.” Pearl held on to her pillows so that they wouldn’t fall of.

For a while they sat in silence, not knowing what to do or how to start it, but after some time Pearl leaned in and pushed Jasper back on the matrass, leaning over her. The big girl swallowed rather loudly and wondered if staring into Pearl’s eyes was awkward. There she was, all of her free will far beyond those walls, prisoner of a deal that involved the whole school and part of a responsibility which rested on both their shoulders.

“Let’s get down to business.” Pearl mumbled.

“To… defeat the Huns?” Jasper raised an eyebrow. For a moment, Pearl remained completely expressionless but then the corners of her mouth began to twitch and she let out a snort of laughter that made Jasper jump and erupt in laughter herself. For a moment they just lay there, clinging at each other for support, tears of laughter streaming down their face. In the end, Pearl sat up straight, noticing she had been leaning against Jasper for far too long, and cleared her throat, turning a little pink. The big girl smiled, feeling completely at peace for the first time in a while.

“I think… this might have convinced them… kind of… I don’t know.” Pearl got off the bed and shivered a little. Why was that big oaf so easy to talk to? Why would she rather spend time with her than all the banquets Jinju had ever brought her to?

Speaking of banquets…

“Shit!” Pearl cried. “Sapphire’s pool party!”

“Wha…?”

“I’m late for Sapphire’s Pool Party!” Pearl opened her wardrobe and started flinging bathing suits everywhere. Jasper raised an eyebrow as a bikini top came flying by and snorted.

“Why do you people have Pool Parties? I mean, what’s the use?” She smiled, as Pearl held a bathing suit in front of her, checking herself out in the mirror.

“It’s not really my thing…” She muttered, adjusting the straps as she spoke. “They’re usually organized by the Blues; they have a handful of pools anyway…”

“About that…” Jasper stood up. “Why would anyone need so many pools?”

Pearl turned to look at her with a crooked smile.

“I honestly don’t know.” She said. “But Lapis is being coached by Olympic champions so she might be behind it.”

Jasper laughed.

 

_“We’re all alone now.”_

 

“You fascinate me.” She muttered and it was Pearl’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“Sorry, what?”

“It’s true… that you live in a completely different world.” Jasper grinned, flexing her arms a little. “I’ve been working since I was ten or something…”

“Poor you.” Pearl flicked Jasper’s nose and bent down to search in the drawers. “I honestly don’t know what to wear. Sometimes I envy the limited wardrobe people like you have.”

“I won’t even waste my time getting mad for that.” Jasper sighed, and sat down beside her. She pulled a sexy bathing suit out of the drawer and started laughing. “I didn’t know you wore this kind of stuff.”

Pearl went red.

“That’s… not mine.”

“It’s like someone cut right in between the boobs and stopped just before reaching the crotch…” Jasper muttered, and turned to Pearl. “Whose is it?”

“No one’s…” Pearl growled. “Not anymore, at least. It used to belong to my swim-instructor. She gave it to me when she left, that’s all… but it’s far to big for me, as you can clearly see…”

“Yeah, I don’t think this would cover your crotch…” Jasper chuckled.

“Can you not talk about my crotch?” Pearl snapped. “It’s highly inappropriate.”

“But darling!” Jasper slammed a hand on her own heart, feigning despair. “How could you say something like that after consumating our marriage?”

Pearl snorted.

“Pretending to have sex with you might have been the worst idea ever.” She said, sighing. “I’ll never hear the end of these jokes.”

“Not a chance.” Jasper smiled. She looked at the drawer. “Why is it so hard for you to find a bathing suit?”

“Because Pool Parties are dumb and I don’t want to go but I’m already late…” Pearl muttered. Then, she looked at Jasper. “Come with me.”

“What?”

“Come!” Pearl grinned. “It won’t be boring with you there.”  
“Is that a compliment?”

“Not really, I just really want to see you clash with the rest of us.” Pearl threw the sexy bathing-suit at her. “You can wear this, no excuses. You wouldn’t fit in my stuff anyways…”

Jasper opened her mouth to protest but then shut it again, realizing there was no real necessity to reject a Pool Party if it meant skimpy bathing suits. And Pearl in a bathing suit was something she had to see before she died.

 

 

*                *                  *

Peridot stood awkwardly in front of the mansion that belonged to the Blues’. It was really embarrassing to be there after having bumped into Lapis at the store. But before she could worry any more, Sapphire came out to greet her.

“Peri!” She exclaimed, hugging her. “You made it!”

“Yeah, I was literally in the bus when you asked me.” Peridot laughed. “But I… kinda don’t have a bathing suit. Mine are all old.”

Sapphire raised an eyebrow.

“Did you use to swim?”

“I don’t know, everyone swims at some point in their lives…” Peridot muttered weirdly and Sapphire wondered if there was something else behind that.

“Well…” She said, quietly. “I have plenty of bathing suits, so you can have one of mine. I don’t need so many anyway…”

With that said, she took Peridot’s hand in hers and pulled her across the garden path into the house, almost bumping into Akoya, who smiled and shook her head.

Sapphire brought Peridot to her room, and started hunting for bathing suits. The later looked around and smiled, noticing it didn’t look like the room of a very rich girl. Sure, the furniture seemed expensive and she had a big TV screen on the wall, but in general it looked rather cozy and small in comparison to the rest of the house. She found herself wondering how Lapis and Akoya’s rooms would look like but at that moment, Sapphire flung a bikini to her head and she snapped out of it.

“I’m… not wearing that!” Peridot exclaimed. It was one of those cute bikinis with wavy patterns that had a skirt at the bottom instead of the regular old undies. It was a nice shade of green, but it seemed too revealing.

“Oh Peri…” Sapphire laughed. “It’s a Pool Party… Everyone’ll be dressed like that, I promise.

“I really can’t do this…” Peridot sat down on the bed with a sigh. “I never wear outfits like that, I haven’t been in the water for at least three years and I sure as hell don’t fit in a group like yours… you’re all too good for me, Sapphire.”

The small girl stared at Peridot, as if she were wondering where that sudden outburst came from. But she approached her none the less and sat down next to her, taking her hand in her own.

“A group like ours…” She said softly. “Does having money make us so different? Sure, we can buy almost anything we want and we can afford the best education… but don’t you think we fear the same things as you?”

Peridot looked up.

“What do you mean?”

“Being alone, being left out… anxiety, depression, body complexes…” Sapphire went on. “All the money in the world can’t really help you with those… A strong mind has no boundaries.”

Peridot sighed and looked at Sapphire.

“I guess you’re right… but you always seem so composed.”

“That’s because we have to be.” Sapphire said, sadly. “If we lose our composure, the tabloids hear about it and the company loses face. It’s not easy just trying to live your life but not being able to make mistakes like common people…”

“I think I never really saw it like that.” Peridot smiled at the bikini laying on her lap. “But it’s not that I’m feeling anxious about wearing this, not specifically…” She sighed. “I used to swim… a couple of years ago. The school didn’t know about it; it was my own hobby… but I used to compete against other swimming pools with my group.”

“Wow!” Sapphire exclaimed. “Sounds like fun!”

“It was…” Peridot muttered, sadly. “I was the Anchor. But one day, at a competition in Empire City, I let my team down.”

Sapphire leaned in, worried.

“What happened?”

“I slipped.” Peridot sighed. “Before diving in, I just slipped… it wasn’t a spectacular way of causing an accident but I knocked my head and fell into the pool and… I don’t really remember; I was out pretty bad… All I know is I woke up in the hospital three days later.”  
Sapphire gasped.

“What the… oh my, Peri!!!”

“That’s not all…” Peridot mumbled. “I went to the pool again shortly after, but everyone seemed to blame me for the accident. We would have won if it hadn’t been for me.”

“Peridot, that’s awful!” Sapphire exclaimed. “It wasn’t your fault… These things can happen! They should have been glad you were okay!”

“I don’t know…” Peridot sighed once more. “I should have been more careful.”

“That’s bullshit!” Sapphire stood up, angrily and the short girl looked surprised. She had never seen her that mad. “Peridot Edelmann, that was NOT your fault and if your teammates got mad, well… then they’re SHITTY PEOPLE!” She sat back down, gasping for air, and seemed to return to her sweet normal self. “Anyway.” She patted Peridot’s knee. “I think you should try on this bikini and look fabulous. I can assure you, we are your friends and we just really want you to be at our Pool Party.”

Peridot smiled and then hugged Sapphire out of the blue. She had never had any real friends and it felt good knowing how it felt. A little warmth and support was what she needed from time to time and Sapphire could give her that, which was comforting.

“I’m… really happy to have you as a friend.” She muttered.

“Me too.” Sapphire smiled. “But come, now! We need to see if everything has been prepared downstairs at the pool! Put that thing on and join me!”

And with that, Sapphire quickly slipped out of her dress, revealing a white trikini that seemed more for lounging than actual swimming. She ran out of the room and headed downstairs, leaving Peridot muttering to herself while she changed into her own bikini. When she had finally done so, she looked into the mirror and shuddered. No one should have to wear something like that… But Sapphire was already downstairs and it would be rude to look for something else, so she decided to follow her as quickly as possible and try not to be seen as she headed towards the stairs. But luck wasn’t in her favor for she bumped – for the second time that day – into Lapis Lazuli, who had just come out of her own room.

Peridot groaned a little as she sat up straight, having crashed to the floor.

“My my…” She heard Lapis say. “Are you trying to cause an accident today?”

The small girl stood up hastily and straightened her bathing suit, going bright red.

“No? Yes? I don’t know? Where’s the pool?” She stammered, not daring to look Lapis in the eyes. The tall girl laughed.

“Downstairs, corridor, right.” She answered. “For the indoor pool, that is.”

Peridot looked at her, cheeks burning. Lapis was wearing a soft white bathrobe that revealed a dark bathing suit underneath. But of course, Lapis actually had a coach and swimming was her thing. The small girl gulped and muttered a ‘thank you’, scurrying away as fast as possible. Lapis Lazuli really made her nervous.

The tall girl stared after her and then followed her in that direction, heading for the pool as well. Peridot certainly was a strange girl, and she seemed to have a lot of problems with human contact. Why, only Sapphire seemed to really be able to get to her… And lately, she seemed comfortable around Jasper as well. But she never managed to maintain eye contact with Lapis, which made her wonder what was wrong.

“Am I that scary?” The tall girl muttered, as she walked downstairs.

Her perplexity didn’t leave when she reached the pool and observed Peridot help Sapphire with setting the tables. She was so tiny, and yet her arms and legs seemed strong. She had a determined look on her face when she pushed tables around and a small blush seemed to appear on her cheeks when she had to make an effort. Lapis smiled; she was a cute little thing.

“Spying?” A voice next to her asked, making her jump. It was her sister Akoya. Lapis growled.

“Why would you sneak up like that?”

“You like her, don’t you?” Akoya nodded at Peridot with her chin. “I can tell… You’re starting to obsess…”

“What? No! Don’t think you know me, ‘cause you don’t.” Lapis looked away, crossing her arms. “Why would you even think that?”

“That’s the look in your eyes when you swim.” Akoya smiled. “You’re looking at Peridot like that.”

“Hell no.” Lapis contradicted. “Why would I like someone like her?”

“Because frankly, difficult people please you.” Akoya grinned.

“Shut up… I could say the same about you.” Lapis muttered.

“Well, we are twins…”

“You always end up liking people who you claim to hate.” Lapis continued. “For pity’s sake, Ako… you’re always acting like you want to kill Jinju, but deep down…”

“Shut up.” Akoya growled. “I’m warning you.”

But they were both interrupted by the sound of high heels in the corridor and the soft thud of a handbag being thrown around. Akoya looked up.

“Heeeeeeey.” It was Jinju herself, who was loosening a silk yukata as she walked and let it drop in the middle of the corridor. Under it, she was wearing a bright orange bathing suit that made her look like the cover of Vogue’s latest issue.

“Heeeey.” Lapis mimicked. “Bathing suits and high heels are for hookers.”

“You always say those things around me.” Jinju kicked her heels off, quickly losing height. The twins were a bit taller when she wasn’t wearing them. “But I am a lady of class and I’m sorry if you can’t appreciate that… Lapis Lazuli.”

“Lady of class my ass.” Akoya muttered. “You can start being that by not flinging your stuff all around my house. No one wants a strip-tease in the hallway.”

“Again with the hookers!” Jinju walked towards the indoor pool. “Just because I make an effort to look fabulous, doesn’t mean I’ll sleep with people for money.”

“No, you don’t charge them for that, everyone knows.” Lapis muttered, and quickly ran towards the pool, diving in elegantly and splashing everyone nearby.

“What did she… Whaa…?” Jinju stared after her, confused. Akoya looked at her and after a few seconds, broke the awkward silence.

“Yup.” She muttered. “She went there.” And with that, the blue haired girl ran to dive into the pool after her sister. But Jinju wasn’t going to let that slide, so she got in as well and started swimming furiously after Lapis, who burst out laughing and dodged her every blow. Akoya floated nearby, grinning at the scene while Peridot and Sapphire were laughing from the tables.

“You see… we all have our problems.” Sapphire snorted.

But she wasn’t done talking when Pearl arrived, looking very elegant indeed in her turquoise bathing suit, accompanied by Jasper.

“What the…” Jinju frowned. “Why did you bring the brute?”

“Excuse you.” Jasper walked in, showing off her revealing bathing suit. Peridot snorted loudly and the big girl jumped. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Peridot answered.

“Pearl invited me.” Jasper frowned. “No one told me you’d be here.”

“I didn’t know.” Pearl laughed. “It’s okay, I’m sure Peridot won’t tell everyone that you were wearing this.”

“No one would believe me anyways…” Peridot smiled.

“Let me tell you!” Jasper growled. “I look amazing and that’s not hard to believe!”

“Yeah yeah…” Pearl patted her arm. “Just go swim or something.”

“You’re not the boss of me!” Jasper snapped.

“Am I not?” Pearl raised an eyebrow. “Someone’s gotta lead Operation Free School.”

“That name’s lame.” Jasper grunted. “And if anyone should be leading that, it’s me!”

“Why, because you control the whole class by making them afraid of you? At least I gained my control out of respect.” Pearl stated.

“Really? So it had nothing to do with you being… I don’t know… The richest of the group?” Jasper added.

“What? No!” Pearl pushed Jasper into the water. “I’ll prove it to you! I’ll show you I’m the better leader.”

Jasper shook the water of her head and glared at her.

“No, I’ll show YOU who’s the better leader!” She grabbed Pearl’s ankle and pulled her into the pool as well, leaving her spluttering while she tried to reach the surface. She emerged, looking mad.

“Why, you… sack of muscles!” She exclaimed.

“Toothpick!” Jasper retorted.

Pearl was about to lunge for her throat when Akoya swam towards them and held out her hands.

“Stop. You’re both not very good leaders. Why don’t you settle this on a different way?”

“How?” Pearl growled.

“A competition.” Akoya smiled. “In the Olympic pool. Winner gets to be leader of Operation Free School whatnot.”

“Oooooooh, yes!” They heard Lapis exclaim.

“So… I just have to beat Pearl in a race? That’s easy… and unfair for Pearl.” Jasper grinned. “Let’s do this.”

“Woa, steady!” Akoya stopped her. “We are going to make this official. We’re going to set a date and get someone else to Anchor.”

“I choose Lapis to be my Anchor.” Pearl said quickly.

“Damn.” Jasper frowned. “I don’t know any competitive swimmers… it’s not fair!”

“You double-standard bitch.” Pearl hissed under hear breath.

“But you do!” Sapphire piped up. “You do know a swimmer.” She pulled Peridot forward. “This swimmer!”

Everyone stared in silence as the small girl tried to wriggle herself lose from Sapphire.

“I can’t compete!” Peridot exclaimed. “That was a long time ago!”

The small girl felt hurt that Sapphire had told everyone. Why would she do such a thing? There was a reason she hadn’t told anyone until now!

“Peridot, this is good for you!” Sapphire exclaimed. “You shouldn’t have to give up on something you love! And I told you, no one’s going to stop being your friend here if you mess up! Peridot, this is your chance to redeem yourself… just for you!”

Peridot felt tears prickle in her eyes. Her knees were shaking and she felt that anxious knot building up in her throat. She wasn’t ready at all to be confronted like that and she wished Sapphire would have just kept quiet about it.

“Why would you… I told you no one knew…” She croaked.

“Because being friends is not always about keeping each other’s secrets. Not if those secrets are harming them!” Sapphire exclaimed.

“Being friends is about keeping each other’s trust.” Peridot muttered, and started walking away. But before she could reach the door, Jasper had jumped out of the pool and blocked her passage.

“Look.” She said. “I don’t know what this is all about, but I do know that I need an Anchor. And I need someone who knows about this, because frankly… I swim like a dog. And I really need help.”

“Well, don’t look at me.” Peridot tried to get past her.

“Peridot, I’m begging you. I’m not going to force you, and I know you’re hurt and upset. But just know that I don’t expect you to win for me, I just really could use your support.” She smiled. “Just do this with me, okay? Let’s show them who’s boss!”

Peridot looked towards the others, who were all staring at her, concerned.

“Fine.” She said. “I’ll do it. Now please leave me alone.”

Jasper moved away and Peridot headed upstairs to change. Akoya quickly got out of the pool and put her arm around Sapphire.

“Oh Sapphy…” She muttered. “That wasn’t very… wise.”

“I know what I’m doing.” Sapphire said, very seriously.

“Do you, now?” Lapis got out of the pool as well. “You know; she doesn’t belong to you… She clearly has some kind of trauma with competing and you just assume she’ll swim when you say so?”

“Don’t make such a big deal of it, I’m just trying to help!” Sapphire ran away, tears in her eyes. Akoya frowned at her sister, crossing her arms.

“Good job, Lapis. Now she won’t come out of her treehouse for a week.”

“Hey, I didn’t build that crap for her.” Lapis muttered. “Also, she’s an immature idiot.”

“You’re just saying that because you like Peridot.” Akoya sighed. “I hope you have the decency to go and talk to Sapphy.”

“Fine. But not now.” Lapis sat down on one of the benches. Jinju leaped out of the pool as she did so, and drowned a glass of sherry that stood on the table, ready to be served.

“What?” She mumbled as everyone stared at her.

 

                                *                 *                  *

Everyone seemed to have gone home when Peridot came downstairs again. She had spent a long time in one of the bathrooms, pondering about life instead of changing into her clothes, but now she wondered if Sapphire was around. She felt bad for having yelled at her, but she had really been hurt by her lack of tactfulness.

Peridot opened the door to the indoor pool, but found no one there. She stared at the water, which seemed much darker now that the sun had gone down and its rays no longer flickered through the glass panels in the roof. She stared at the glassy mass of water, wondering how it would feel to get in again. It had been a while.

“Wondering if there are any sharks?” Came a voice behind her. Peridot jumped so high she almost landed in the pool. With her heart beating like crazy, she turned around to see Lapis standing behind her, her hair shining in the moonlight from above.

“What do you want?” Peridot asked softly.

“I want you in the water.” Lapis said. “You need to make the plunge or you’ll never be ready for the competition.”

“I’m… not going in now.” Peridot looked away, but before she could react, Lapis had jumped on top of her and they were falling, falling until they crashed right into the pool with a loud splash. Peridot had just a second to gasp for air when Lapis pulled her under until their feet scraped the bottom of the pool. Peridot tried to loosen herself from the girl’s strong grip but Lapis motioned her to calm down by placing a finger on her lips. She pointed upwards and Peridot followed her direction, her eyes widening when she did. From the bottom you could clearly see the moonlight reflecting on the pool and the windows in the ceiling, dancing as the water deformed them with the waves caused by the splash. It was a beautiful sight and Peridot stared in wonder, letting an air bubble escape her mouth. It was then, when she was least expecting it, that Lapis leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Peridot backed away, forgetting to hold her breath and started swimming upwards as Lapis did too. Choking and gasping for air, Peridot spluttered angrily as the blue haired girl got out of the pool and laughed.

“What did you do that for?” Peridot shouted, angrily.

“What do you mean?” Lapis smiled.

“You… kissed me!!!”

“No I didn’t.” Lapis sniggered. “Must have been the lack of oxygen.” She started walking alongside the length of the pool. Peridot, furious and determined, started swimming as she walked, but Lapis kept altering her pace. It was exhausting.

“Now look here!” Peridot gasped for air as she swam. “You clearly kissed me! I wasn’t imagining anything! You did!”

Lapis smiled as she reached the end of the pool and then turned around, walking in the other direction. Peridot kept following her and ranting all the way until they had reached the other end. Then, Lapis stopped.

“Impressive.” She smiled, pulling out her phone.

“What?” Peridot snapped, still out of breath.

“You just swam the entire length of an Olympic pool, to and fro. And you made good time.” Lapis chuckled. “I knew this would work.”

With that, she left the room, laughing at her own antics. Peridot stared after her, confused and overwhelmed, wondering at that point if that had been the reason she had been kissed. But then again, what other reason could there be?

The small girl shivered a little as she got out of the water and headed upstairs once more to find her clothes. When she finally crossed the gardens and left, she found Jasper waiting for her by the front gate.

“Hop on, I’ll take you home.” The big girl said.

“How did you…?”

“I waited at Pearl’s. Lapis texted her.” Jasper smiled. “Now, hurry.”

“She did?” Peridot put on an extra helmet and climbed up behind Jasper on the bike. “Wait, you stayed at Pearl’s?”

“Yeah, if I’m seen there, everyone’ll get suspicious.” Jasper smiled, turning the bike on. “And we want them to think we’re banging.” She drove off as Peridot rolled her eyes. But the small girl was grateful that she had waited for her. It was getting pretty late.

 

*                 *                  *

Amethyst stretched her arms in the air and let out a yelp, as Jenny started the car. Buck and Sour Cream, who were sitting in the back seat, jumped. Kiki, who was squished between them, sighed.

“Hell yeah! It’s Friday!” Amethyst shouted. “And not only that, but we get to see a swimming competition between Jasper and the G-String Society!”

“Keep your bra on, Ame.” Jenny cried. “’Cause this is going to be one hell of a competition!”

They drove on the highway and took the turn to reach the GS’s neighborhood. Uncertain of which house was the Blues’, Jenny parked the car in front of the nearby forest and they started walking up the slope.

“They say it’s the first house from here…” Kiki said, checking her phone.

“Did you mean ‘mansion’?” Buck pointed at the gates in front of them and they all gulped.

“That’s… a big house.” Jenny murmured.

They weren’t completely sure where to go until they saw Sapphire walking towards the gates to welcome them.

“Hi.” She said. “Come and I’ll show you inside.” She opened the gate slowly and Kiki noticed she wasn’t her usual self. She seemed to be the only one, though, as the others were far too excited to notice anything was off with the usually bubbly girl. She followed the group none the less until they reached the house and once inside, Sapphire led them to the indoor pool. Jasper and Peridot were already there, getting warmed up. They had trained together for a week, and had definitely improved. Pearl and Lapis stood nearby, also getting ready. Pearl was wearing her frilly turquoise bathing suit, clearly not caring at all, but Lapis wore a slightly sportier one. They had agreed not to ask Lapis’ coach for help, to keep it fair, but they did seem much more confident than the other two. Jinju and Akoya were moving chairs around, one with less enthusiasm than the other.

“Come and sit.” Sapphire offered. “The competition will start soon.”

“YEEEEAAAAAH!” Amethyst bellowed, and hurried to get a good chair. The rest of the gang followed as fast as they could and everyone seemed excited to start. Akoya walked towards a standing microphone that she had previously made Peridot install there and cleared her voice.

“Attention everyone.” She spoke up. “We’re about to start a race to determine who is going to be the leader of our plan to free East Delma High from the Diamond Industries. The race is between Jasper and Pearl, and Peridot and Lapis are anchoring for them.”

The whole group hooted loudly.

“Now, if the competitors will come here, we can start this race!” Akoya threw her hands in the air and everyone except Jinju hooted again. Jasper and Pearl got in their starting positions with Lapis and Peridot staying close by.

“Good luck, protein-bucket.” Pearl grinned at Jasper.

“Best of luck, no-boobs.” Jasper retorted, and the bang to start the competition went off. Both girls dived in and started swimming.

The race was neck-to-neck. Jasper was much more athletic, but Pearl had better technique, which made her glide through the water easily whilst Jasper had trouble pushing it away with the big waves she created. Nevertheless, she was gaining on her.

Back at the shore, Peridot looked up as she felt someone touch her arm. It was Sapphire.

“I’m really sorry.” She muttered. “I came to wish you good luck.”

The two hadn’t spoken in a week and Peridot had missed her a lot, so she couldn’t bring herself to stay mad.

“In the end, you just wanted to help me and you did. Look, I’m swimming again.” She smiled. “Thank you for this, Sapphy.”

Sapphire beamed and hugged her.

“They’re back!” Akoya exclaimed. “Looks like Jasper’s winning!”

 

_“The competition will start soon.”_

 

Peridot let go of Sapphire and assumed a starting position, stretching out her hand so that Jasper could slap it. When the big girl finally arrived, Pearl tailing her, Peridot dived in and just moments after, heard Lapis follow. The race had now taken a professional turn and everyone stared at their sleek bodies speeding through the water as if they belonged there.

“Wow!” Akoya exclaimed. “I have never seen anyone keep up with Lapis before! I don’t know the outcome yet, but this will sure be a race to remember!”

“Quit acting like a TV-commentator. It’s creeping me out.” Jinju hissed, but Akoya paid her no mind.

Peridot gasped for air as she swam as fast as she could, but even though she had trained, her condition wasn’t what it used to be. Lapis was ahead and she knew she would win. But that didn’t make her give up. Peridot increased her speed and almost tied with Lapis, making everyone cheer.

“Oh my God!” Jasper screamed. “Peri, you’re so cool!”

“Yeah, way to keep up with Lapis!” Pearl smiled.

“WHAT AN EXCITING COMPETITION!” Akoya bellowed through the microphone, making Jinju cringe. “Lapis has won, but ooooooh, Peridot sure got close! It was almost a tie!”

“Yeah.” Lapis hopped out of the pool and held a hand for Peridot. “Way to go, Peridot. You’re a good swimmer.”

The small girl turned bright red at all the praise. Somehow, Sapphire had been right. She hadn’t won the competition, but… she had gained so much more than that. She had gained friends that supported her no matter what, and that realization felt strong and very real.

Jasper turned towards Pearl, who was swiping the water off her frilly bathing suit.

“I guess this means you get to be our leader.” She said, softly.

“I guess…” Pearl smiled. “But hey, since you reached the edge before me and Lapis and Peridot were almost a tie, would you like us to be co-leaders? It’ll be better if we work together, we can’t expect our squads to do so if we don’t…”

“I would… yeah.” Jasper grinned. “Hell yeah!” She turned towards the gang. “CO-LEADERS, PEOPLE!”

The whole gang cheered and Amethyst quickly unhooked her bra, throwing it over to a laughing Jasper. Pearl muttered an ‘ugh’ and walked away, but the corners of her mouth twitched as she did so. It had been fun.

 

*                 *                  *

Peridot finished drying her hair and headed downstairs to say goodbye. She wanted to get home as soon as possible to keep up with her homework, something she had forgotten that week due to the intense training. But as she approached the front door, Sapphire ran towards her, holding something behind her back.

“Peri?” She said. “I kinda got something for you. It’s a present… I wanted to show my appreciation and say sorry and… you know… get you something you actually need.” She pushed a square package with a neat blue bow into the girl’s hands.

“Oh but Sapphire, you didn’t have to!” Peridot exclaimed, ripping the paper off nonetheless. “I mean… I was at fault too!” But she went quiet when she saw the package contained the green headset she had been staring at in the store, the week before.

“What the fuck?” The words escaped her mouth before she could stop herself and she felt tears of joy building up in her eyes. “Oh Sapphy!!! How did you know? Oh my God!”

“Let’s just say, a little bird told me?” Sapphire smiled and turned around towards the living room where Lapis was smiling. She had made up with her the day before and her older sister had casually told her about the headset. Sapphire had known right away she wanted to buy it for Peridot.

“Thank you, thank you!” Peridot hugged Sapphire tightly. “I mean; you shouldn’t have but… aaaaaah! Thanks!” She let go. “And… I really appreciate what you did, even though I got mad. I’m so sorry…”

“I should have asked you first.” Sapphire smiled. “But at least I didn’t push you in, like other people.” She glared at Lapis.

“I’m still mad at her.” Peridot growled. “But at the end of the day, it was a good race, and she did get me into the water.”

“I’m right here.” Lapis muttered.

“Good.” Peridot smiled. “Because you need to know I don’t appreciate being thrown into a dark pool.”

“Fine.” Lapis stood up and went upstairs. “You’re boring.”

Sapphire and Peridot laughed at the scene.

“She likes you.” The small girl said. “Whatever she says.”

A soft breeze welcomed the gang when they stepped outside into the gardens, ready to head home.

“Wow, fall has really started, hasn’t it?” Jenny picked up a leaf. “Soon it’ll be too cold for these booty-shorts.”

“You’ll do the world a favor.” Kiki muttered under her breath.

“Here’s to a new season.” Jasper smiled, cracking her back and making everyone cringe and yell ‘dude!’. “A new season to kick the Diamond Industries out of our school!”

“With their daughters’ help!” Pearl added.

“That’s messed up.” Buck muttered, and everyone laughed. All of them parted ways to their respective houses and vehicles, some slouching and others prancing on their expensive heels. But whoever they were and whatever background they came from, seemed to have blurred after that competition, making way to a new perspective. Maybe, just maybe, working together would bring the best out of them in the future, just like it had done that day.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: TBA


	8. Prince Ki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinju and Akoya reveal bits and pieces of their past. Jasper and Pearl start to find out what they might feel for each other and Lapis makes a strange suggestion that leaves Peridot confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm back with a new chapter! 
> 
> I want to thank you for your lovely comments! I know I respond every ten years, but they always make me smile. You're really awesome! I hope you like it :3
> 
> By the way, me and my bae @Caspisan (on Deviantart) drew the swimming pool scene from last chapter! Check out our drawings!
> 
> Caspisan's version:  
> https://img00.deviantart.net/7304/i/2017/253/5/3/lapidot_underwater_snooch___steven_universe_au_by_caspisan-dbmyyj9.png
> 
> My version:  
> https://pre00.deviantart.net/bde8/th/pre/i/2017/252/6/f/diamonds_in_the_dust___lapidot_swimming_pool_scene_by_renegadepearl501-dbmx6dh.jpg
> 
> If you'd like to see one of the scenes in this chapter drawn by us, please let us know! Feel free to submit your own fanart as well, I'd be delighted!!!
> 
> Songs featured in the chapter:
> 
> "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" - Fiddler on the Roof (musical)  
> "You're Welcome." - Moana   
> "Ruleta" - Inna (ft. Erik)

**Chapter Seven**

**Prince Ki**

**F** all had come in all its glory to Beach City Delmarva, and the trees in the forest were showing off brown and red colors. The soft summer breeze had been substituted by a crispy wind that blew around more leaves than one could handle and frequent thunderstorms made it their job to wash away the last warm days of the season.

Pearl smelled the air and smiled, as she had always liked the fall. As she made her way briskly through the woods, she smiled at Lapis and Akoya, who were walking at either side of her.

“This is nice; we should do this more often.” She told them.

“Yeah, it is nice…” Akoya smiled back. “Us three hardly ever hang around alone.”

“Well, Sapphire is off with Peridot… I think they’re shopping.” Lapis sighed. “I wish I was somewhere warm.”

“Jinju is practicing again…” Pearl muttered. “It’s all she ever does, lately… Somehow spending more time with our new class has made her distant…”

“Practicing?” Akoya asked.

“Yes, for her Fencing Tournament…” Pearl stretched her arms. “Come on, Akoya, you know exactly what I’m talking about!”

“Yeah yeah…” The blue-haired girl sighed deeply. “I know.”

Lapis made a weird noise and started walking faster, leaving the other two behind. Pearl raised an eyebrow.

“Lapis thinks…” Akoya sighed. “Never mind.”

“Well… I _do_ mind.” Pearl said, sternly. “You haven’t been to one of Jinju’s tournaments for years! You should really pick up that habit!”

“I have nothing to do there.” Akoya said, softly. “She and I don’t get along.”

“You used to.” Pearl mumbled.

“Just because we used to doesn’t mean we still should…” Akoya muttered, walking faster as well. “I mean… I’m going to give you an example: what if you and I hadn’t been friends in kindergarten? Would you not be willing to be my friend? It’s the same thing in reverse…”

“What the…? Never mind… Reconnecting is a good thing!” Pearl exclaimed, jogging in order to catch up to her. “And she was so fond of you… remember when she swore to be your prince?”

“Shut up!” Akoya growled. “I’m done with all of that! It’s over, stuff like that can’t come back… Jinju has changed and so have I.”

The blue haired girl picked up the pace in order to catch up to her twin and left Pearl staring after them, looking forlorn.

“Well… Are you still up for the sauna?” She asked.

“Yeah, yeah…” Akoya said, from a distance. “Keep up!”

“Excuse you!”

The three of them arrived at Blue’s House and headed towards the sauna that had been built in the garden. It was a medium structure made almost entirely out of wood and it was quite spacious inside. The GS often met up there, although neither Sapphire nor Lapis were particularly fond of it.

Pearl left her things on one of the shelves and undressed quickly, for it was rather cold in the sauna’s parlor while Akoya kicked her pants off and hunted for a towel to go into the steamy room. Lapis muttered something about the towel being too small but wrapped one around herself all the same.

“I’m glad Jinju isn’t here.” Akoya sighed. “I really get annoyed when she starts changing under her towel screaming how fat she is, all the while begging for compliments…”

“Stop it.” Pearl growled. “I told you that was serious.”

“She does it for attention.” Akoya retorted. “You’d say being Jinju Ki gives you enough attention already… but no, she has to have more…”

“For someone who claims to be annoyed by her, you sure do speak a lot about her.” Lapis scoffed.

The blue-haired girl got into the sauna room and slammed the door behind her. Pearl shared a look with Lapis, who shrugged.

“I think I made it worse.” She muttered. “I told her that I thought she had feelings for Jinju and she didn’t take it well.”

“Of course she didn’t, Lapis.” Pearl sighed. “You know their history… More than anyone…”

“I doubt that.” Lapis said. “Akoya may share everything with me, but she has never said one single word about what happened between her and Jinju.”

“Well, somehow it seems like a fight that never got resolved.” Pearl wrapped a towel around herself. “And I think that’s stupid.”

“Is it?” Lapis put her hand on the doorknob. “Just because you don’t know what happened, doesn’t mean it’s stupid. They may have their reasons… Who knows… maybe they didn’t even have a fight…”

Pearl frowned and entered the sauna as well, perching herself on one of the wooden benches and sighing deeply. How could there have NOT been a fight? People who used to be so close couldn’t just fall apart for no reason, could they? As she felt all of her muscles relax, she wondered if she’d ever find out what happened between those two.

 

*                 *                  *

Jinju felt a droplet of sweat trickle down her face as she took a step backwards. Her mask felt hot and she was gasping for air, having trained on for too long. Her instructor raised an eyebrow as she gripped her sabre tightly and straightened her shoulders.

“Again.” She whispered.

“Are you sure, miss?” Her trainer asked.

“Do as I say.” Jinju snapped, and went back into position.

“En guarde!” She looked up. “Êtes-vous prêtes?” Jinju licked her lips, preparing her move. “ALLEZ!” She lunged for a thrust, whipping her trainer’s sabre away in under ten seconds. He looked pleased, and took off his mask.

“You did well, Miss Ki.” He smiled. “You’re more than ready for the upcoming tournament… but do me a favor and get some rest, you will need that.”

“Rest?” She scoffed. “There’s no time to rest when your name is Jinju Ki.” And with that she headed towards the changing-rooms. As her fencing instructor left, she changed quickly into her normal gym-clothes and made for the gymnasium built in her home. It was next to the hall which she used to practice fencing, and had quite a lot of apparatuses there. She moved on the treadmill and then used the bike, wondering if she’d be fit enough to fight the quick and agile people at the tournament. She had built a reputation on being the best, but it had been a stressful season and she felt her body respond with less energy than normal. Was she getting fat?

Jinju stopped cycling and started doing push-ups instead. She couldn’t get fat, not now! There were so many tournaments, so many events… What if she stopped fitting in her clothes? Sure, buying new ones wasn’t a problem, but oh! the shame of entering a shop and asking for a size up! She couldn’t handle that, it had already happened to her once that year.

Jinju dived into one of the shelves that stood against the wall and retrieved a half-eaten energy bar she used for when she felt weak. She gobbled it up and then clutched her stomach, feeling a sharp pain. When was the last time she had eaten that day?

“I should eat. I should totally eat. I’ve been exercising all morning, I deserve food.” She muttered to herself and ran to the kitchen, opening all the cabinets to see what kind of snacks they had. Potato chips, barbecue flavor. That never hurt her before… and bread… bread that had been brought in by the maids not long ago… it smelled so fresh… Jinju bit a piece off and then opened the fridge to see what kind of stuff they had. She squirted some mayonnaise on the bread and topped it with some barbecue sauce and a drop of Worchester. She found some ham as well and slammed it on, making a large sandwich. She gorged it down, alongside the chips and washed it away with some soda, feeling oddly satisfied. But that feeling didn’t last for long as she craved something sweet and chewy. She dug through the cabinets until she had some custards and ate one of them, licking the sugar off her fingers when she had finished. By now, a strong feeling of guilt was creeping up her stomach and sending sharp pains through her body. She bit her lip.

“This isn’t that bad… I don’t do this every day… it should be okay…” She whispered to herself, while trying to get rid of the mess she had made in the kitchen. “This isn’t the reason you’re a size up, it’s a one-time thing.”

But was it, really? Last week that “one-time thing” had happened twice and the fact that she didn’t binge everyday didn’t mean it wasn’t happening on a regular basis. Jinju felt an anxious knot in her throat and headed for the bathroom, in order to take a shower.

As she undressed, she couldn’t help but stare in the mirror and feel even worse than before.

“It’s okay.” She whispered to herself again. “It’s a one-time thing.”

But it wasn’t, was it?

She sank to her knees, sobbing, as the sound of the shower echoed loudly in the large bathroom. Placing both her hands on the toilet seat, she let her head rest on her arms and took a deep breath.

“Don’t do it, Jinju.”

She looked up. Akoya’s voice was so loud and clear but she couldn’t even see her. Had it been a product of her own imagination? Jinju got up, her urge to purge momentarily gone, and hopped into the shower, somehow shivering under the hot water. What had happened out there?

 

_“Don’t do it, Jinju!” Akoya pleaded, as the small girl stood in front of the group of boys, a stick in her hand._

_“Why not? They pulled your hair! You said it hurt!” Jinju growled, her six-year-old hands gripping the stick tightly._

_“You’ll get in trouble with Miss Rutile!” Akoya said._

_“I don’t care! I’ll fight them anyway!” Jinju exclaimed._

_“Girls can’t fight!” One of the boys exclaimed. “It doesn’t matter if you have short hair, you’re still just a girl!”_

_“I’ll show you how a girl can fight!” Jinju answered, thrusting her stick forwards._

_“Oh really?” The same boy picked up a stick as well. “You think you are a prince, but princes are boys!”_

_“I don’t care!” Jinju lunged towards him. “I can be Ako’s prince even if I am a girl!” And she knocked the stick out of his hands with such aggression that everyone gasped._

_“Miss Rutile! Miss Rutile!” One of the kids watching exclaimed. “Jinju is trying to kill Marty!”_

_The boy lay on the floor, clutching his hand, tears prickling in his eyes. Jinju stood proudly next to Akoya and put an arm around her._

_“Listen, everybody.” She said. “Nobody can touch Akoya because I am her prince. I swear to always be her prince!”_

 

Akoya looked up; the steam in the sauna was so dense that she could hardly make out the figures of Pearl and Lapis, sitting opposite her. She sighed and gripped her knees tightly, wondering why she felt so weird. But just as she was losing herself in thought, the door opened and Jinju walked in, a towel around her chest.

“Hi.” She muttered.

“Jinju!” Pearl exclaimed. “I thought you were training!”

“I was.” The girl walked in, stretching. “All morning. Then, I took a quick shower and came here because I was bored anyway…” She sat down next to Akoya, who looked annoyed.

“Go away.” The blue-haired girl muttered.

“Whatever.” Jinju checked her nails, wondering if any were chipped after her practice.

“Can you go and get hit by a helicopter?” Akoya jabbed at her.

“Can you maybe not talk to me?” Jinju grimaced.

Pearl and Lapis shared a confused glance.

“I didn’t understand one single thing.” Pearl mumbled.

“It’s called brain-damage.” Lapis muttered. “They both have it.”

 

                             *                *                 *

Pearl sighed as she logged on to her gradient that evening and swiped away all of the annoying notifications which were probably Jinju tagging her in every single event that week. As she scrolled down, she noticed Lapis had been posting and she was astonished. Lapis hardly ever went on gradient. Pearl scrolled down further and repressed a snort as she came onto a post of the girl that showed a pretty picture of a lake and a cheesy text that said: My heart is like water… dive in and you’ll find out if it’s deep or shallow.

“Oh my stars.” Pearl burst out laughing. “Who hacked her account?”

She was about to click on Lapis’ profile when her eyes caught a couple of notifications on screen informing her of “friends she might know”. Most of East Delma High appeared on that corner now that she had befriended Peridot, but her heart skipped a beat when she saw Jasper, posing alongside her motorbike. She didn’t hesitate to click on her picture and quickly started scrolling through her Gradient.

“Oh wow.” She muttered. The girl had a lot of posts. Most of them were shares from informative blogs about races, interesting facts and animal rescue. Some were tagged pictures from parties with Amethyst, Jenny, Buck and Sour Cream where she looked very different from the intimidating or annoying Jasper she knew. The big girl looked so calm and so happy on most of those pictures – dated before the school year – and Pearl couldn’t help a feeling of guilt when she reminded herself that her mother was partly responsible of Jasper’s current state of unhappiness. Just staring into the girl’s eyes in the pictures made her want to hug her knees and look away, but she just couldn’t. Jasper was too magnetic.

A post celebrating Amethyst’s birthday… a post of some holiday the gang had spent at the beach… a post commemorating her mother. Pearl bit her lip and switched off her laptop, throwing herself on the bed. But she couldn’t just stop there… the girl picked up her phone and searched for Jasper’s gradient again, knowing she could only do one thing. She pressed the friends request button and waited.

Waiting was silly, she knew that. People like Jasper didn’t wait every second on social media, ready to add or accept someone new. But she was surprised by a very quick accept from Jasper’s part. Pearl’s heart almost skipped a beat again when she got a message.

 

_Should we add a relationship status?_

Pearl flushed deeply and typed back furiously.

“Of course not! What the hell, Jasper!”

“I’m just kidding.” Jasper typed back. “It wouldn’t convince anyone.”

“That’s right.” Pearl answered. “I’m the heir to the Diamond Industries.”

“No, I kinda meant from my part.” Jasper wrote. “Everyone would think I’m trolling.”

“Why did I even add you.” Pearl sighed.

“Because I look hot in my pictures.” Jasper sent back.

Pearl snorted and hated herself for finding that funny.

“You’re so full of yourself.” She typed. Jasper sent her a winking emoji and the thin girl laughed, rolling over on her bed. She stretched her legs a little, noticing how stiff they were.

Of course, with all the hustle of being at a new school, her ballet lessons had diminished and so had her core training.

“I think I’m going to go for a run.” She wrote. “Can’t sleep.”

“Want me to join?” Jasper wrote back.

Pearl’s heart skipped a beat. Jog with Jasper? At this hour? Was that even a realistic possibility?

“Dude, don’t you live like… really far away?” She typed.

“I have a motorbike.” Jasper answered. “I can come to the forest near your house.”

“If you want to…” Pearl wrote back. “Be there in 15?”

“Make it 10.” Jasper logged off. Pearl jumped up and started rummaging through her drawers for a clean jogging outfit and found at least four she had never worn. To her dismay, they were all too big for her. In the end, she settled for an old legging and a T-Shirt she used as pajamas. But Jasper wouldn’t know that, it still looked better than anything the kids at East Delma owned.

That wasn’t entirely true, though. They wore cheap clothes but most of them made it work, Pearl realized as she walked down the stairs to the front door. Especially Jasper; Jasper always looked good. Pearl shook her head with a smile as it hit her: she did have a type, but no one really knew about that. Except maybe Jinju, she was sharp when it came to those things… But the tall girl knew that finding people like Jasper attractive wasn’t in the canons of being an heiress and that if her little secret came out, the tabloids would probably ruin the family and Pink might just end whoever caught her daughter’s attention before letting that happen… Pearl stood still in her tracks.

What had she done?

“I did not think this through.” She whispered, as she leaned against the front door, already outside.

Pink Amaranto was ruthless when it came to dating. That was the main reason why it had all seemed like such a good idea, but looking back on it now, it was so childish. Pink would never jump up and leave East Delma High alone just because she thought Pearl was in a relationship with Jasper. She would crush anyone standing in her way like a bug and then continue her original plans, never stopping, ramming through everyone and everything like a bulldozer.

A soft ‘sup’ interrupted her thoughts and Pearl looked up, a lump in her throat as she saw Jasper in front of her, wearing a trendier jogging outfit than herself.

“Hey Jasper… we need to go.” The tall girl muttered. “Take me somewhere else, on your bike… let’s get out of this place. Let’s jog in your neighborhood instead.”

Jasper chuckled.

“Really? You want to jog between junkies and molesters?”

“Stop kidding, I’m serious.” Pearl headed for the motorbike and put on an extra cap.

“So was I.” Jasper muttered, but got on the bike anyway and turned the keys in the ignition. “Hold on tight.”

To her surprise, Pearl didn’t protest and grabbed her waist as tightly as she could, sending Jasper’s heart thumping in her throat.

“Damn it.” The big girl hissed, and rode away, taking the road around the mountain and heading for her own neighborhood, wondering what this sudden turn of events was all about.

*                *                 *

 

Akoya couldn’t sleep either. She sat on the swing they had hung up on the porch many years ago, when she had still been a child. Sometimes she missed those days and wished she could go back in time so that she could feel limitless again. Lately everything seemed like a cage: her home, her school, her future… She could order anything she wanted from the menu, but that was it… There was only that menu. Her whole life was a big menu telling her to choose between things that had already been planned. And every year there seemed to be less to choose from.

Akoya was the oldest of the Blue sisters; she had been born two minutes before Lapis, who had had some trouble turning around in the womb. No one cared that they were twins, Blue sure didn’t. Just by to minutes, Akoya was the rightful heiress of the Blue department in the Diamond Industries, and nothing could change that. Not that Lapis would have wanted the position, she was far too happy slacking off whenever she didn’t have Olympic training. And Sapphy lived in another world, filled with colorful bunnies and happy people, so she wasn’t really ready for leadership either. No, it all came down to Akoya, the “eldest”, groomed and shaped to become the next Blue Diamond.

But did she want to be that?

Lost deep in her thoughts, she hardly noticed Lapis slip up next to her and sit down on the swing as well.

“You scared me.” She said, softly.

“You’re worried.” Lapis answered. “Why.”

“I don’t want to take over the Diamond Industries…”

“I knew that.” Lapis looked away. “You don’t have to. Just walk away.”

“You know I can’t do that.” Akoya whispered.

“Why not?”

“Because then I’d be giving the burden to you.” She shut her eyes tight. “I don’t think you deserve that. No one does.”

Lapis bit her lip. After a while, she turned back to Akoya.

“I wish I were one of the East Delma kids.” She said. “Then I wouldn’t have to worry about stuff like this.”

“You and me both, sis.” Akoya smiled. “But we’re Blues, and Blues always obey.”

Lapis snorted.

“If we had house crests, ours would be that.” She muttered. “Blues always obey.”

“Or… We got the Blues.” Akoya sniggered.

“What’s the use of feeling Blue.” Lapis continued.

“Blue syndrome.”

“Okay stop.” A small voice came from the doorway. It was Sapphire, in her nightgown, frowning at them both. “Being a Blue isn’t all bad!”

Lapis and Akoya laughed heartedly.

“Oh Saph… you’re like the voice-of-reason sister in a musical who starts singing while telling the others off in a rap-verse.” Akoya grinned.

“ _Hodel, oh Hodel… have I made a match for you…_ ” Lapis sang under her breath, making her twin snort.

“Oh ha, ha! Fiddler on the Roof reference!” Sapphire sat down between them, scowling. “Did you really think I wouldn’t get it? I’m friends with Peridot, for God’s sake!”

“Yeah, Peridot does seem like the kind of person who owns every soundtrack that has ever been recorded on Broadway…” Akoya mumbled.

Lapis let out a very out-of-character giggle, making her sisters stare.

“Yes.” She smiled. “She does.”

Sapphire spread her hands.

“Okay, what’s happening here?” She exclaimed.

“ _I know what’s happening heeeere…_ ” Akoya sang, making Sapphire roll her eyes.

“Stop with the musical references already!” She cried.

“ _You’re face to face with LOVE and it’s strange_ …” Akoya continued, making Lapis frown. “ _You don’t even know how you feel, it’s adorable_!”

“Akoya, shut the fuck up.” Sapphire giggled. “I don’t want to keep the Moana soundtrack in my head for the rest of the week. Besides, we get it. Lapis likes Peri!”

“I most certainly DO NOT.” Lapis leaned backwards.

“Come on, admit it.” Sapphire smiled. “You like her.”

Lapis sighed.

“Well… I’m attracted to her…”

“OH MY GOD!” Akoya and Sapphire exclaimed in unison, but Lapis stopped them with a hand gesture.

“It’s no big deal. I just think she’s cute and I want to sleep with her.”

“DUDE!” Sapphire exclaimed. “That’s my friend you’re talking about!”

“So? I can’t help it if you have the mentality of a twelve-year-old.” Lapis grinned.

“Okay, okay…” Akoya laughed. “God help us if you actually sleep with her. Mom will never let it go.”

“She wouldn’t mind. She isn’t Pink.” Lapis stretched. “Besides, what’s a one night stand to her? Do I have to remind you guys that we have freedom in those things until the arranged marriages come up?”

Her sisters stared at her for a while and Lapis shrugged.

“If some of us were guys… we’d end up marrying each other.” Akoya said softly.

“Yeah… If Pearl and Jinju were guys… those marriages would have been arranged since birth.” Lapis muttered.

“Who’d marry who?” Sapphire asked.

“I’d probably end up with Jinju.” Lapis snorted. “Pearl would go with Akoya, her being the Blue heiress and all.”

“Well, I could marry Pearl.” Akoya said. “She’s alright.”

“I’d probably kill myself before marrying Jinju, though.” Lapis grinned. “I mean, God no…”

The three of them burst out laughing. Akoya sighed.

“It would be like having a trophy wife.” She smiled.

“I don’t think you’d mind.” Lapis nudged her in the ribs. “I mean, come on! We all know you used to have a huge crush on her!”

Sapphire looked up, confused.

“What? A crush? On Jinju?”

“We do not speak of this here.” Akoya hugged her knees, sending the swing gently to and fro.

“It was a long time ago…” Lapis told Sapphire. “Kindergarten, to be precise… Jinju was kind of tomboyish back then.”

“What, really?” Sapphire snorted.

“Yeah, she used to play around and climb in trees and I don’t know… The kind of stuff everyone wants to do as a kid but out mothers were like ‘that’s not for young ladies.’” Lapis continued. “Yellow had such trouble with Jinju! She sent her to all the sports she could think of, hoping to tame her wild spirit. But still, she’d fight with the boys and be really rough about it.”

Sapphire looked confused.

“How did she go from ‘ _nada_ ’ to ‘Prada’, then?” She muttered.

“That part got lost somewhere in translation.” Lapis chuckled. “That’s when those two stopped talking.”

“We were friends throughout kindergarten all the way till middle-school… or was it high school?” Akoya frowned. “I don’t remember…”

 

                                                                                              

_"I swear to always be her prince!" (Image by Caspisan on Deviantart)_

 

“Jinju defended Ako in kindergarten when they were bullying her.” Lapis sighed. “Apparently they did that every time I wasn’t there. Pearl and I always got pulled out of class for swimming and ballet. So people started picking on Akoya and then Jinju stepped in.”

“Really?” Sapphire’s eyes were shining.

“Okay, let me tell this.” Akoya smiled, stretching her legs again. “The Jinju back then was pretty awesome. She had this short wavy sandy hair and big brown eyes and she could run faster than anyone in the class. I remember every girl – from kindergarten and middle-school – saying they liked this boy or that boy…”

“Oh my Gosh!!!” Sapphire exclaimed.

“Yeah, knock yourself out…” Akoya sighed. “For me it was always Jinju.”

“WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Sapphire let out a high pitched scream and Lapis put a hand on her mouth.

“Shhhhhhhhh, you’ll wake up everyone!”

“No but seriously!” Sapphire giggled. “I knew it!”

“Anyway…” Akoya smiled. “That day Jinju actually defended me and I fell for her like any of those girls fell for a boy. And she told everyone that she was my prince, so I kind of went along with the idea that we belonged together.” She sighed. “It was a baby crush at that moment – what were we? Five? Six? – but it developed into something deeper when we were like eleven… that school year was really weird.”

“Puberty hit.” Lapis snorted.

“It did… I suddenly felt a lot of confusing things.” Akoya mumbled. “And they didn’t fit in what others seemed to be feeling. I mean, even you guys were thinking about boys!”

“What do you mean ‘even you guys’?” Lapis exclaimed. “Are we a walking gay parade or something?”

“Lapis, please… You said you’d sleep with Peridot.” Akoya snapped.

“But I’m still too young to think about my sexuality.” Sapphire smiled.

“Oh yeah, sure you are… you’re one year younger!” Akoya cried.

“Still. I’m pure. And innocent. Please continue your story.” Sapphire giggled. “You were talking about puberty and how gay you were for Jinju.”

Akoya pushed her off the bench, growling loudly, but Lapis sniggered.

“She still is.”

“No, I’m not.” Akoya crossed her arms. “Jinju ruined it. She ruined everything.”

Lapis and Sapphire leaned in closer. Were they actually getting the exclusive of what had happened between the two of them? First hand?

“I didn’t see Jinju that summer before high school.” Akoya bit her lip. “I was at a Bollywood camp for the first half and she was in Korea for the second half. When school started again, things were different.”

“You had that growth spurt…” Sapphire smiled. “Both of you. You were suddenly taller than Jinju!”

“Yeah well… not that we noticed… Jinju had started wearing heels.” Akoya looked down. “I had mixed feelings when I saw her… I mean, she looked amazing, I had never seen her wear makeup before and… you know, not that she needed it, but it looked good – you get what I’m saying?”

Lapis and Sapphire nodded.

“The thing is… she walked past me with a couple of friends and she looked just like a high school queen bee… and that made her so distant.” Akoya sighed deeply. “As she walked, she turned her head and smiled. She didn’t stop, but that smile said everything… it was the kind of smile that translated into ‘how was your summer’ and ‘I’ve missed you’.” The blue haired girl groaned again. “My heart was racing so fast… Those first classes were horrible. When it was finally break-time, I actually cornered her in the small patio near the fence that led to the kindergarten.”

“You did what now.” Lapis snorted.

“As a matter of speaking…” Akoya smiled. “And I told her how much I had missed her and that she looked great.”

“What did she do?” Sapphire was trembling with excitement.

Akoya paused for a while and then sighed once more.

“She kissed me.”

“OH MY GOD!” Her sister exclaimed in unison.

“Yeah, she did.” Akoya grimaced. “That is, until her friends came back for her, wondering what the delay was. At that moment, Jinju pushed me away and I fell on the floor… and she told them _I_ had kissed _her_ and… oh well, as they walked away I heard Jinju say ‘to please not tell anyone because Akoya was confused and is working on it’.” The girl sighed. “The usual.”

“So… no one ever knew about it…” Lapis muttered.

“Sounds like Jinju didn’t have the courage for that.” Sapphire frowned. “But she didn’t want to out you either so she invented a bullshit lie to… protect you…”

“Yeah… I think it was that…” Akoya bit her lip. “But of course, I couldn’t keep my rage at the moment and I made her pay… bad.”

“Oh God, what did you do?” Sapphire asked.

“Well… after that, Jinju started caring a lot about her image.” Akoya mumbled. “She developed an Eating Disorder.”

“Bulimia.” Lapis sighed. “Everyone knew.”

“Yes. Thanks to me.” Akoya buried her face in her hands.

“What?” Sapphire was startled.

“I caught her throwing up… and I walked back into the classroom.” Akoya muttered. “I told the teacher and he went to check on her… and of course, everyone joined in and it kind of ruined what was left of our friendship. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that cruel before, and I don’t think I ever will again… the guilt still consumes me… but at the same time, I’m so angry, so I never really know how to act in front of her. And I think she had the same problem with me… That’s when I stopped going to her fencing tournaments.”

The three sisters sat in silence for a while, but then Lapis spoke.

“Well, you did help her.” She said, softly. “She went to therapy after that and started getting better.”

“I could have told the teacher at a better time. I wanted to hurt her.” Akoya shook her head.

“Well… she hurt you too… and you guys were twelve…” Sapphire said. “I mean, aren’t you supposed to make mistakes in order to learn?”

“Yeah, well… that was one hell of a mistake.” Lapis sighed. She turned to Akoya, grabbing her arm. “Why don’t you go to her tournament? There’s one on Saturday.”

“Maybe I will.” Akoya smiled. “I mean, it’s never too late to reconnect, is it?”

“No, I mean… Just try!” Lapis laughed. “Who knows, maybe she misses you too…”

“I don’t miss her…”

Lapis and Sapphire both laughed.   
“You’re not fooling anyone, Akoya Blue Winkle.”

 

 

*                *                 *

Pearl gasped for air as she tried to keep up with Jasper. She was no runner; the stamina she had didn’t seem to work for a simple jog. She stopped in mid-tracks and doubled up, trying to fight away a stitch. Jasper turned around, cockily.

“Tired already, princess?”

“Shut up and go away. I’ll catch up.” Pearl panted.

“Yeah… that ain’t gonna happen. Unless you want someone to kidnap you and do stuff to your precious body.” Jasper walked towards her. “This is the perfect place for these things to happen… and I’m sure there are many volunteers…”

“Okay, okay… I get it! Bad neighborhood!” Pearl mumbled. “Let’s just walk, then… I don’t usually jog for longer than twenty minutes.”

“You’re such an amateur.”

“Shut up.”

The two of them walked side by side in the dim light of the streetlamps and the atmosphere changed gradually with every step they took. It was different when they were running, life seemed to have a purpose then. Now, they were just walking and it felt strangely out of balance.

“I…” Pearl stuffed her hands in her pocket. “The place where you parked your bike… was that your home?”

Jasper nodded.

“It’s a garage… my dad repairs vehicles.”

Pearl looked at her.

“I know…” She whispered.

“Yeah, it’s a good house.” Jasper stretched a little, her firm muscles dancing under her jogging outfit. Pearl bit her lip. “I can take you home if you want to…”

“I…” Pearl hugged herself. “I guess…”

Jasper stopped in mid-tracks and turned to observe the wiery girl, a small smile playing on her lips.

“Unless…”

“Jasper.” Pearl was grinning and the big girl raised an eyebrow. “In your dreams.”

“The wildest.” Jasper chuckled, and they resumed their pace, smiling a little. After a while, they reached the garage again and Jasper took out her motorbike.

“Why don’t you ever ride this to school?” Pearl asked.

“The train’s less expensive.” Jasper explained. “So I only use it to get to the places where the train doesn’t come… or the bus… or any public transport… like your neighborhood.”

“Oh, busses do get there.” Pearl smiled.

“Yeah, your staff has to reach the house somehow.” Jasper grimaced.

“Oh no, our staff sleeps at the house.” Pearl got on the motorbike. “Shall we go?”

“Yes, let’s.” Jasper put on her helmet and got on the bike as well. She felt Pearl’s arms wrap around her gently and she sighed. Somewhere out there was a parallel universe where that relationship could actually work.

As they drove off and made their way towards the mansion again, Pearl held on tighter and rested her cheek on Jasper’s firm back, feeling the warmth of her body as the big girl groped the handle with all the strength she could master. For Jasper was turning weak again and felt as if she wanted to throw up; that much excitement had built up in her throat. Pearl on the other hand, had never felt so calm in her life and wished the ride could last forever. Where had Jasper been all her life? There was no one, absolutely no one, who had ever made her feel that safe before.

When they finally arrived at the forest near the manor, Jasper stopped the bike and got off, breathing in the fresh air. Pearl left her helmet on the seat and walked towards the big girl.

“Thanks for taking me home… and you know, taking me jogging.”

“I hope you can sleep now.” Jasper grinned, and turned towards her bike.

“You know…” Pearl said, softly. “When I first met you, I thought you were just this big brute who didn’t give a shit… It’s nice to know that you’re human.”

“Well…” Jasper leaned on her bike. “First impressions are often right. But in some cases, they’re wrong… and that’s when you actually get to meet worthwhile people… because you give them a second chance.”

Pearl smiled.

“Oh? Am I worthwhile?”

“Not really, but I sure am!” Jasper winked and got on her bike, driving away before the thin girl could start protesting. But Pearl just laughed and crossed the gates, heading quickly towards the front door and sneaking in as quietly as possible. She honestly didn’t want Pink finding out about… whatever this was.

 

*                *                 *

The rest of the week proceeded quite smoothly if one didn’t count the sudden fall rainstorms and Amethyst’s tantrums in class when they started doing equations.

Peridot couldn’t help noticing things were going better between the GS and the East Delma students. As they were waiting for Yellow Tail, she looked around the class and studied everyone: Sapphire was sitting next to her, looking through a magazine she had brought, and Akoya was perched beside them, leaning on their joint desks with her arms. At the front of the class, Jasper was entertaining a small crowd (composed mainly of Amethyst, Ruby and Jenny) with her abilities of lifting desks. Pearl sat perched at the desk beside her, smiling absent-mindly at the big girl. At the back of the class, Jinju was having a serious conversation with Kevin about how irritating it was to shop anywhere with all those people moving around who couldn’t actually afford to buy anything. Peridot grimaced; those two really seemed to be hitting it off when it came to being huge snobs.

Why did people change? Did they really become someone different just because of a situation? Or did that situation reveal their true-selves? Peridot studied both Jinju and Amethyst, two people she doubted very much that they could ever change… Even though the later had stopped bullying her, the small girl felt that she would never live up to Amethyst’s standards. Not that she needed to; she felt fine and comfortable amongst her new friends.

But what if everything worked out and the whole project got cancelled? Where would her friends go then? Back to their old school? Back to a life where people like her did not fit in?

Peridot groaned loudly and lay her head down on her desk. Sapphire and Akoya turned to her, wondering what was going on.

“It’s okay.” The small girl muttered. “I’m fine.”

“It’s alright, I hate chemistry too.” Sapphire patted her back. “It’s just one hour, though.”

Akoya snorted and turned to the back of the class, where Jinju was still speaking with Kevin. Her mood darkened and went to sit at her desk, a veil of anger covering her eyes. Peridot raised an eyebrow and looked at Sapphire, questiongly.

“Oh don’t mind Ako…” Sapphire whispered. “She just needs to get something off her chest.”

Akoya sure did. She had been struggling to do a simple task for the past week, and that was approaching Jinju on a somewhat different way than usual. But she still hadn’t been able to get her alone and now the sandy-haired girl seemed to be hanging out with Kevin all the time. Akoya didn’t approve of that friendship; Kevin was a jerk.

But then again, wasn’t Jinju one too?

When the bell for break finally rang, Akoya hurried out of the classroom after Jinju, and grabbed her arm. The girl turned around, mildly annoyed.

“What.” She muttered, jerking herself lose. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

“I just want to… talk to you.” Akoya muttered.

Jinju stopped in her tracks as all the other students moved past them and raised an eyebrow.

“You want to talk?” Her face showed disdain.

“Yeah, Jinju, it’s important.” Akoya leaned against the wall.

“Fine, what?” Jinju seemed annoyed.

“Let’s talk outside.”

The two girls left the building and headed for the sandy part of the school yard, where they could stand in the shade of the tall bushes that grew there. On the other side, they could see Amethyst and Jenny smoking.

“So?” Jinju muttered.

“Well…” Akoya felt a knot tie her throat down. She wanted to tell her that she missed her and even though they had grown apart over the years, she believed things could go back to the way they were. But those were not the words that came out. “Well… I decided I might as well come to your fencing tournament on Saturday… I mean… it has been a while. So…”

“Stop.” Akoya looked up. Jinju was glaring at her. “Just stop.”

“What? Why?” The blue-haired girl asked, confused.

“Okay, so let me get this straight…” Jinju snapped. “After all this time, you suddenly come up and say that you might as well come to my tournament. Well, don’t force yourself, Akoya. I know you only want to come because Pearl – or someone – probably guilt-tripped you. But hey! I don’t care! I haven’t cared for a while, so please don’t come to my tournament. I don’t need your guilt support.” And with that, she walked away, leaving Akoya lost and confused.

“You’re such an idiot.” She told herself. “Why didn’t you just tell her what you were feeling? Why did you try to sound cool?”

The blue-haired girl walked slowly towards the stone bench in the yard where Lapis was sitting by herself, scrolling through her phone. She sat down next to her and burst into tears. Lapis almost dropped her phone and shifted her position to cover Akoya from the rest of the yard.

“Yo sis… you alright?”

But as Akoya clutched her twin tightly, she knew she wasn’t alright and that she hadn’t been so in a long time.

“I… messed up real bad, Lapis.” She sniffled. “I don’t know what I want anymore, like… I want to be friends with Jinju again, but I can’t really seem to make it work… I… really messed up…”

Lapis held her as she managed to tell her what had happened, and frowned. Getting her sister to reunite with Jinju would be a lot more challenging than she had thought.

“Look, don’t worry about it.” She said, softly. “Just go home and I’ll find an excuse for you. Go get your stuff and I’ll take you home.”

Akoya nodded and ran off towards the classroom, trying to avoid anyone on her way.

 

*                *                 *

 

Break time hadn’t passed yet when Ruby, who had been eyeing Peridot and Sapphire for most of the time, came up to them and sat down beside them at their usual spot near the fountain.

“Hi, Ruby.” Sapphire smiled brightly.

“H… hi…” Ruby went red and Peridot raised an eyebrow. Was the small girl crushing on Sapphy?

“Did you want anything?” Peridot asked, through gritted teeth. Ruby had never had any trouble holding her while Amethyst stole her lunch money. They hadn’t pulled a stunt like that in a while, though.

“No…” Ruby peeped. “I just… Sapphire told me she’d help me with my English homework.”

“She’s right, I promised before.” Sapphire grinned. “Take out your notebook and I’ll explain how syntax works.”

“Yeah, I’m out.” Peridot stood up. “Catch you later, Saph.” And she walked away, trying to remember a time before she knew the girl. Who did she hang out with before the GS came to school?

The fear building up in her heart came crawling back as she realized that everything she had gained this year was only temporary. Once they made it and the Diamonds left the school, everyone would go back to their old ways and she’d be alone and friendless once more. Peridot shook her hear; now wasn’t the moment to be thinking of such things.

“Oy.”

The small girl turned around sharply at the voice that came from the stone benches. Lapis was sitting there, her bag beside her.

“What?” Peridot asked.

“Tell Vidalia we’re leaving.” Lapis said. “Ako isn’t feeling well, so I’m taking her home. She’s getting her things now.”

“Oh… alright.” Peridot tried to turn away but Lapis spoke again.

“Yo, Peri.”

The small girl gulped.

“Yes?”

“Wanna go on a date?” Lapis smirked.

Peridot almost tripped over her own feet at the shock from hearing those words. She coughed a little and stared at the girl, amazed.

“Me? Date? With you? Together? As in us on a date?” She spluttered.

“Uh, yes?” Lapis laughed. “Never been on a date before with a hot girl?”

Peridot made an effort to remain composed.

“Not really.” She whispered. “I don’t exactly date.”

“Well, it’s never too late to start…” Lapis began.

“Let me get this straight!” Peridot interrupted her. “You, Lapis Lazuli Winkle want to go on a date with… me?” She looked around. Suspiciously, but Amethyst was nowhere t

o be seen. “I mean… did you lose a bet?”

Lapis frowned.

“No, Peridot, I’m asking you a question, you low self esteemed twerp! Do you want to go on a date or what?”

“No!” Peridot exclaimed. “No, of course not!” And she ran away, leaving Lapis dazzled and confused. The blue-haired girl frowned; she wasn’t used to that kind of rejection.

“Lapis…” She looked up and saw Akoya standing next to her. “Shall we leave?”

The blue-haired girl nodded absent-mindedly and grabbed her twin’s arm, wondering if they were somehow cursed. Cursed from birth to keep people from getting close as they were shaped and molded into the tycoons their family wanted them to be.

Once they had arrived home, Akoya shut herself up in her room and Lapis jumped in the pool for a few laps, feeling she needed the exercise in order to get some things off her mind. But it didn’t exactly help, for the mechanical movements acted as fuel for the thoughts creeping through her head. Why did she feel so weird about Peridot? And above all, why was she the one chasing?

Peridot was a very down to Earth kind of girl, to be honest. She had a clear goal and managed to push herself through every difficulty in life, not unlike Lapis herself. But the blue-haired girl found it hard to clutch a goal herself, as her future had already been written down for her, like a handbook passed through generations. Was she attracted, then, to someone who didn’t have that fate bestowed upon her?

But it wasn’t just that; almost everything made Peridot endearing and worst of all, attractive. There was something weirdly sexy about the small girl with her light hair and her thick glasses. Lapis sank underwater and swam the length of the pool like that, trying to cool her head down, but Peridot just wouldn’t leave her mind. She was obsessed.

Now wasn’t the moment, though… She had to worry about Akoya and her failed attempt that morning with Jinju. Lapis rose to the surface and hopped out of the pool, pushing her own feelings aside for once, a determined look on her face. As she wrapped a towel around herself with one hand, she reached out for her phone with the other and called Pearl.

The red-haired girl was in gym class when her cell started ringing. They were playing dodge ball again and she had ended up in the loser’s yard as Amethyst had sent a ball flying to her butt just minutes ago. Pearl picked up the phone, rather annoyed.

“What?” She hissed. “I’m in gym here.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot we skipped class.” Lapis chuckled. “Listen Pearl, I need your help. Akoya kinda tried talking to Jinju today and it didn’t work… you may need to help _smoothen_ the way, if you know what I mean…”

Pearl turned to look at Jinju, who hadn’t been herself since break. She was standing in her own field, dodging the balls with a glazy look as they passed by.

“I think she may need it.” She told Lapis. “Homegirl looks like a zombie.”

Lapis laughed.

“Fancy you talking like that! Will you speak to Jinju then?”

“I will.” Pearl whispered. “I’m hanging up before Barb catches me!”

She stuffed her phone back into her pocket and grinned at a forlorn Kiki, who had just joined her in the loser’s turf.

“Jasper almost cracked my spine.” She wailed.

“Yeah…” Pearl smiled. She looked at the opposite team. “Oy Jasper!” She yelled. “Careful with the balls, you don’t know your own strength!”

Jasper laughed and chucked a ball at her.

“Here, save yourself!” She exclaimed. “I’ll give you a free shot!”

Pearl stood in front of Jasper, the ball in her hands, ready to throw it at the big girl. But she looked so happy… Pearl gulped, Jasper was actually smiling genuinely, she could see it in her eyes as she sank through her knees assuming a warrior pose and beckoning for her to throw the ball. Pearl threw it, but the big girl dodged it easily, and walked over towards her turf.

“Tough luck, princess.” She said, softly, just before turning back to the game.

“Is it just me, or were they flirting?” Amethyst asked Jenny, a suspicious look on her face.

“Girl, they were way past flirting.” Jenny held up her hand. “They were undressing each other with their eyes.”

Pearl tried to keep Jasper out of her mind as she approached Jinju after gym and they prepared to go home.

“Where are Lapis and Akoya?” Jinju asked, frowning.

“They left; apparently Ako wasn’t feeling well.” Pearl mumbled, trying to get a reaction out of the girl. But Jinju simply shrugged.

“Sucks to be her.” She picked up her bag and walked towards the car. But the door wouldn’t open. She turned towards Pearl. “Hey, unlock!”

“No way.” Pearl crossed her arms. “We need to talk about Ako.”

“The hell we do!” Jinju growled.

“I’m not letting you in until we’ve talked.” Pearl took the keys out of her bag. “In fact…” She held her arm above the gutter. “I’m dropping them. I’m totally doing it. Unless you talk.”

Jinju seemed to consider it for a moment. Then, she shrugged.

“Your car.” She said.

“Your ride.” Pearl said, smoothly.

“I’m Jinju Ki. Do you really think I won’t be able to get home without your ride?” Jinju snapped. She walked towards Kevin, who had just crossed the school gates. “Give me a ride home?”

“Sure thing, babe.” Kevin held out is arm and Jinju took it, leaving a confused Pearl standing above the gutter. But that wasn’t all, for the school bus honked loudly at a couple of kids who were crossing the street without looking and she jumped, dropping her keys. Pearl stared in horror as they fell down the gutter, with a soft metal chirrup and a small “sploosh” at the end.

For a moment, she just stood still. She didn’t know what to do… that were her car keys and all her spares were at home. To make matters worse, Pink had custody over those spare keys so that she could always find out if Pearl had lost them. And she really didn’t want her mother finding out, because the rants about being responsible were endless. Not only that, Pink was pretty ruthless when it came to such “mistakes”.

“Lost something?” Came a voice behind her. Pearl spun around, seeing Jasper smirking beside the gates.

“I… uh… Dropped my keys in the gutter.” She muttered.

Jasper snorted.

“For real?” She caught the girl’s frown and hushed up. “Okay, okay, sorry…” She sniggered. “But how?”

“They fell, okay?” Pearl sat down on the sidewalk. “This is a disaster, my mother’s going to kill me.”

Amethyst, Jenny and Kiki stopped beside Jasper.

“What’s going on?”

“Pearlstian Dior dropped her keys in the gutter.”

“Sucks to be her.”

“Wouldn’t want to be her, to be honest.”

“Her mother’s gonna eat her for dinner.”

Pearl jumped up.

“ALRIGHT WE GET IT!” She screamed at them. “So, are you going to help?”

“What? Help you get into the gutter? That’s nasty!” Jenny exclaimed.

“Yeah… no can do.” Amethyst sniffed the iron bars. “It smells like someone died in there.”

“Someone probably did.” Kiki mumbled.

Jasper laughed.

“Come on, guys. If you help, beers on me tonight.”

“You ain’t got that money.” Amethyst sniggered.

“But I do.” Pearl raised an eyebrow. She pulled out her credit card. “I have everything you need right here; I’ll buy you a couple of drinks if you help me.”

“Wow.” Jenny said.

“Impressive.” Amethyst agreed.

“Well, come on then.” Jasper smirked. “Let’s get dirty.”

With a loud grunt, she pulled the bars up, lifting the lid neatly from the hole. Amethyst got some wire out of her pocket and handed it to Jenny, who secured it around her wrist. Kiki grabbed her ankles as she dived slowly into the hole.

“Give us some light!” She exclaimed.

Pearl turned on the flashlight feature on her phone and shone down; Jenny was halfway in now.

“Have you done this before?” She asked them.

“Bitch, people drop all kinds of stuff down here, of course we’ve done this before.” Came Jenny’s voice. “I’m almost at the water, Kiki – you gotta go in.”

Kiki, still holding her sister’s ankles, dived in as well as Amethyst held hers. Her face looked strained supporting the weigh of two bodies.

“Need some help?” Jasper grabbed her tightly and Jenny and Kiki continued to descend.

“I’ve reached the water!” Jenny exclaimed. “I’m gonna lower the wire and see if I can find the keys!”

Pearl bit her lip, expecting the worst. She was therefore thoroughly surprised when she heard Kiki shouting.

“The keys! You’ve got them!”

Jasper and Amethyst pulled the girls up and Jenny presented the wire: attached to the bottom were Pearl’s dangling car keys. The tall girl could hardly express her gratitude.

“Oh my God! You actually went in! And hung upside down! And you retrieved them!”

“Yeah yeah… so where’s the booze?” Amethyst snapped.

“Get in.” Pearl smiled, unlocking her car. “Let’s go somewhere.”

Jenny snorted.

“Hang on, sunshine! I’m not going anywhere smelling like rotten eggs!”

“So we’ll go to your place first.” Jasper said. “Get changed and then we’ll go have some pizza… and then… drinking time! Hurry!”

They followed Jenny and Kiki to their home, as they lived just a couple of blocks away from school. It was a small apartment building and Pearl stared at the mouldy walls that totally needed a new coat of paint. They walked up the stairs leading to the highest floor, accessed by a verandah. Jenny put her keys in the door and let everyone in.

“Jenny, Kiki – you home?” Came a shrill voice from the living room.

“Yes _Gunga_! Just here to change!” Jenny answered.

The group followed Jenny to the room she shared with her sister. It was really small and had a tiny window that led to the building’s indoor patio. The walls were painted a warm shade of yellow and most of them were hidden by a big closet dividing the two beds.

Jenny pulled off her pants and top and opened the closet doors.

“What should I wear?” She wailed.

“The short black dress with the shiny dots!” Amethyst exclaimed, almost too quickly.

“Yeah… Good idea…” Kiki took the dress and chucked it at her sister. “I’ll wear my white one-piece…”

“Ya’ll should dress up too if we’re going clubbing.” Jenny winked at them and pointed at her closet. “Pearl, you’re my size, aren’t you?”

“I don’t exactly have your waist and boobs, but I guess were the same height.” Pearl sighed.

“Then wear this!” Jenny threw some clothes at her. “You’ll rock it!”

Pearl held up a crochet crop top and some booty shorts.

“Are you kidding me.”

“Trust me, Pearl. This is exactly the mind of makeover a Gucci bitch like you needs.” Jenny grinned. “It’s time for you to stop looking like a first lady and start looking like a seventeen-year-old!”

“I beg your pardon!” Pearl stared at the clothes. “I can’t…” But she was interrupted by Amethyst, who had stuffed herself into one of Jenny’s leggings.

“Pearl! Just do it, okay?” The purple-haired girl turned to Jasper. “Are you going to go looking like that?”

Jasper stared at her jeans and T-shirt.

“Yes?”

“No way, girl!” Jenny threw her a tank top and legging. “Get into these!”

“Oh fine!” Jasper pulled off her T shirt in front of Pearl, who choked on her own spit and started coughing loudly, tears in her eyes as the big girl revealed what turned out to be a very nice bra and a toned stomach. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah!” Pearl tried to breathe but as Jasper changed into Jenny’s clothes, she could only hope to gasp for air. Why was the world so unfair? Of all people she had to fall for that big – beautiful – brute.

“Quick, P.” Amethyst smiled. “Get changed before you spill blood over your own precious clothes!”

“What blood?”

“The one oozing out of your nose after watching Jasper change – OHHHH OOHHHHHHH!!!” Amethyst jumped up and down as the rest laughed. Jasper stood up and smacked her head, but she too was laughing.

“Don’t mind Ame, Pearl.” She grinned. “Just get changed quickly – we need to get some pizza before we go out!”

Pearl hid behind the closet doors grumbling all the way as she pulled on Jenny’s sexy clothes and sent a gasp rippling through the air as she reappeared, looking pretty awesome.

“Woa!” Amethyst exclaimed.

“You look nice, girl!” Jenny cried.

“Yeah, you really do, Pearl.” Kiki smiled, reassuringly.

Jasper said nothing, leaning against the door post, arms crossed. Her eyes crossed Pearl’s and they both looked away, awkwardly.

“Anyway.” Amethyst stuffed Jenny’s makeup kit in her bag. “Let’s get some pizza and go already!”

The group hurried outside, stopping only briefly at the pizzeria that Jenny’s family ran, and then heading towards Pearl’s car in order to head into town. Pearl got into the driver’s seat with Jasper beside her. The rest crept in at the back, talking excitedly. The tall girl turned the key in the ignition and they were off, making their way downtown.

Jasper remained silent the whole way, causing Pearl to wonder what was going on. She frowned, but said nothing about it, and simply parked her car near the center. They got out and headed for a bar that Jenny knew.

“You guys will have a blast at Speed.” She grinned. “They serve all kinds of weird shots there.”

“Is that the place where they put a dildo on your beer bottle and you have to suck it blindfolded?” Amethyst asked.

“Oh, God no!” Jasper groaned. “I’m too gay for that!”

Pearl’s heart leaped a little. While there was absolutely nothing straight about Jasper, hearing her say it made her feel weak.

“Don’t worry, they have other shots as well!” Jenny exclaimed. “Let’s go in!”

Pearl paused at the door; the place looked dark and she could see a lot of people inside.

“Don’t you need like an ID for this?” She asked Amethyst.

“Are you kidding? These babies don’t need no ID.” Amethyst perked up her chest and walked past the guy at the door proudly.

“That won’t work with me…” Pearl muttered under her breath, but Jasper threw an arm around her and walked in with her, winking at the “guard”.

“There you go.” She said, letting Pearl go and heading towards the bar. The red-haired girl stood at the entrance, a small smile of wonder on her lips. Jasper was so magnetic…

“Yo, let’s drink!” Jenny came with a large jar of a pinkish liquid. “I ordered us a sex on the beach for starters!”

 

*                *                 *

“Go on, girl! Dance!” Jenny elbowed Pearl in the ribs. They had spent some time in the bar, but had managed to get into a club near Speed itself. She and Kiki were jumping around on the dance floor while Jasper and Amethyst were hanging out at the bar.

“Oh, no!” Pearl laughed. “I’m fine standing right here…”

“Yeah… no!” Jenny and Kiki pulled her towards the dance floor and Pearl burst out laughing. After a while she came lose and started dancing with them, moving her body elegantly at the rhythm.

“Take a look at that.” Amethyst told Jasper. “The heiress can dance.”

Jasper took another swig of her glass, trying to drown her feelings in the booze. Pearl – a little drunk herself – was dancing beautifully. That was actually the only word to describe it… of course, it was sexy… and powerful… and everything… but most of all, it just came down to beautiful. Jasper bit her lip.

_Una vida ganaste en la ruleta_  
Con tu movimiento ganame  
Bailando, gozando, tu cuerpo, el flamenco, ole  
Una vida ganaste en la ruleta  
Con tu movimiento, ves ves ves  
Otra vez vez vez vez

Pearl danced alongside Jenny and Kiki, laughing and actually having fun. Jasper could see her usual bun at the top of her head coming loser and loser until her hair fell down in a neat ponytail. She was amazed; Pearl had much longer hair than expected.

“Let’s join them.” Amethyst smiled.

“No.” Jasper gripped her drink tightly. Amethyst looked surprised.  
“What’s going on here?” She asked, suspiciously.

“I can’t be with her.” Jasper grunted. “Just look at her!”

 

 _Now it only takes two to tango_  
And oh, you talk in my lingo  
You know I'm no angel  
And I know you're a dirty boy  
Let's knock the drinks off this table  
Dance with me in the meadow  
[Dame un beso](https://genius.com/Inna-ruleta-lyrics#note-12418398)  
And I'll give you a thousand more

Amethyst raised an eyebrow.

“Pearl?”

“Yes, Pearl!” Jasper groaned. “Look at her being all beautiful and stuff! I’m so done with this, Ame! I’m so tired of her!”

Amethyst burst out laughing.

“YOU LIKE HER!”

“Ame, I’m serious.” Jasper mumbled.

“And all it took were a few drinks…” Amethyst giggled. “Way to go, Jasp.”

“Look… this is secret.” Jasper sighed.

“Yeah, but… the irony…” Amethyst smiled. “Anyway, go get her! She’s into you too!”

“No, she’s not.” Jasper groaned again. “Why would she be? Look at her! She’s perfect.”

“All I see is a mere mortal.” Amethyst laughed. “But I guess it’s different for you, huh?”

“I’m in love with her.” Jasper cried.

Amethyst patted her on the back.

“That’s tough.” She pulled her up. “But there’s no cure for that when you’re drunk… so go dance with her! Women up!” She pushed Jasper towards the crowd and she ended up next to Pearl, flushing deeply. But the tall girl didn’t seem bothered by her presence at all. In fact, she took Jasper by the hands and pulled her close, feeling her body quiver as they touched. For a while they just danced, their fingers entwined. Jasper was smiling again, just like in gym that afternoon. Pearl was beaming; in fact, they both seemed to have been transported to another dimension in which they were allowed to dance together like that.

“They seem to be hitting it off.” Jenny told Amethyst and Kiki.

“More than you know.” Amethyst muttered to herself. “More than you know.”

 

 

*                *                 *

 

Jinju stood in the dressing room, feeling overwhelmed by the noise of the crowd outside. She had competed in many fencing tournaments before, but an anxious feeling had got a hold of her and she couldn’t seem to shake it off. She pulled on her gloves, waiting for her turn to leave.

Why had she been so stupid? Every single decision she had made since she started high school had been a mistake. Of course, not everything had been dark and dreary, but she felt empty none the less. Pearl, Lapis, Sapphire and Akoya had always been there for her, even when she had mixed with the wrong crowds, spending her money on gambling and driving recklessly through the city. Last week, she had felt like doing that again.

After catching a ride with Kevin, she had had some time to reflect upon herself and had come to the conclusion that her life had been kept on the right track thanks to her friends, but that it was very easy for her to derail and end up somewhere unexpected. Jinju leaned against the wall, a soft groan escaping her lips.

The door opened and she looked up, wondering if it was her turn to compete. But instead of her trainer, she saw Pearl standing at the doorway, grinning broadly.

“Hey Jinju, we arrived early so we came and say hi.” The tall girl moved aside and Jasper came in, followed closely by Lapis, Sapphire, Peridot, Jenny, Kiki, Amethyst, Ruby, Buck, Sour Cream, Lars, Sadie and even Kevin. Jinju felt her knees tremble, and she had to sit down.

“You’re all here…” She said, a bit sharp.

“Yes… I thought you could use some support.” Pearl smiled. “Jasper told the class and everyone got hyped.”

“Hell yeah! Are you gonna stab someone?” Amethyst exclaimed.

“Probably.” Jinju sent a lopsided grin in her direction and the group smiled in wonder. Nobody expected good humor out of the sandy-haired girl.

“We should get back to our seats.” Pearl said. “Chop chop, everyone!” She pushed the group out, ruthlessly, and stopped in front of Jinju. “I brought someone else as well.” She muttered, and walked away, leaving a trembling Akoya at the doorway. Jinju sighed deeply, sitting down on the wooden bench.

“Come in.” She muttered.

Akoya walked inside the dressing room and sat down next to Jinju, who was looking at the floor.

“Why are you here?” Jinju asked.

“Because when we spoke this week, I said stuff I didn’t mean…” Akoya sighed. “What I mean is… There were things I just didn’t tell you.”

“Spit it out.” Jinju mumbled.

“I miss you.” Akoya jumped in. “I miss you every day and every night, I miss you so much I want to scream and just kick at stuff for the rest of my life. I just…” She paused to take a breath. “I want us to be friends again.”

Jinju sighed and looked away.

“We were never friends, Ako.” She muttered. “But thank you for your honesty, I appreciate it.”

The blue-haired girl looked at her, feeling her heart cramp up, hurt by those words.

“But, until high school…”

“We weren’t friends.” Jinju insisted. “We were called like that because there wasn’t a word that made sense back then.” She stood up and pointed her sabre at Akoya’s chest. The blue-haired girl got up as well, facing her.

“There was no way two people like us could ever be friends.”

“What do you mean?” Akoya asked. “We were so close.”

“I was in love with you.” Jinju whispered.

Akoya looked up and felt her heart leap.

“You… were in love…?” She ventured.

“I know.” Jinju put down her sabre. “It sounds weird.”

“Then why…” Akoya asked. “Why would you deny that you kissed me?”

“Because you know my mother. You know Yellow Diamond. It was too risky, it still is.” Jinju clutched her arms. “There’s nothing we can do about it. That should never have happened. Our whole relationship-thing should never have happened.”

Akoya sat down on the bench and sighed.

 

                                                                                              

                                                                                                  _"I was in love with you." (Image by Caspisan on Deviantart)_

 

“Well… I don’t want to hate you anymore.” She mumbled. “We could try to be friends…”

“I can’t take two steps without annoying the shit out of you, Akoya.” Jinju muttered.

“You do… you do annoy me…” The blue haired girl smiled. “But then again, every little thing that annoys me also makes me like you.”

Jinju sat down next to her, with a smile.

“Even when I drop my bags around your house?”

“That… really makes me mad. But yes.” Akoya grinned.

Jinju shook her head, a sad smile on her face.

“This isn’t realistic, Akoya… I wasn’t ready for it then, I’m not ready for it now.”

“Do you even like guys?” The blue-haired girl whispered.

“No!” Jinju clutched her face with her hands. “But what difference does it make? None of us will end up marrying who we want! It’s about time you get that, Ako!”

Akoya stood up.

“Good luck with your tournament.” She said, coldly.

Jinju stood up as well, pulling her mask over her face.

“Thank you.” She grasped her sabre tightly and walked out, leaving Akoya behind. Somehow, her chest felt tight and a lump was starting to form in her throat. Jinju turned around to look at her, but she was gone. She could just make her out leaving through the corridor.

“Good luck, Prince Ki.” Akoya whispered, as she made for the stands.

 

*                *                 *

Pearl sighed as she stepped into the hot tub with the Winkle twins. The water was almost boiling, or so it seemed, but after a minute, one could get used to that.

“That was a good tournament, last week.” She smiled.

“Sure was.” Lapis stretched and closed her eyes. “Wake me up when Ako’s done badmouthing Jinju.”

Akoya closed her mouth and scowled.

“Look, they talked.” Pearl said. “That’s more than anyone expected lately… I’m proud of you, Akoya.”

“Yeah, me too…” Lapis smiled. “At least you guys took the time to talk about your feelings.”

“Right!” Akoya exclaimed. “Like that led anywhere!”

“At least you tried.” Lapis groaned. “I’m getting nowhere.”

“Oh yeah…” Pearl snorted. “You and the Peridot thing.”

“It’s not a phase, Pearl.” Lapis frowned.

“I know, I know.” Pearl leaned back. “What’s going on, though? So much romance…”

“You’re one to talk!” Akoya exclaimed. “Explain this!” She picked up her phone from the side of the tub and showed them her Gradient. There were dozens of pictures taken at the club the week before, and some of them showed her and Jasper dancing real close.

“That’s… for a good cause.” Pearl muttered.

“PLEASE!” Lapis exclaimed. “You like her.”

Suddenly the door opened and Jinju walked in, flinging her handbag at the wall and slipping out of her clothes at the speed of light, revealing a stylish bathing suit. She hopped into the tub serenely, never even saying hi.

“You need to stop coming at my house like this.” Akoya growled.

“Go get electrocuted.” Jinju closed her eyes. “ ’sup, everyone.”

Pearl and Lapis shared an amused look. Somehow, as much as she tried to stay away, Jinju Ki never seemed to be able to leave her princess. Not in this lifetime, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: TBA
> 
> Stay tuned for a special scene @Caspisan and I are going to draw for Chapter Seven!


	9. An Unexpected Double Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amethyst and Jinju grow suspicious of Jasper and Pearl and send Lapis and Peridot to spy on them, revealing a couple of true feelings on the way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God...
> 
> It's been so long again! I've been so busy with school they're real slave-drivers... I guess that's the price to pay if you want to study animation...
> 
> Anyway, I'm back with a new chapter. It's almost 1 am and I'm really tired. I have an important presentation tomorrow... quite early. But I just had to finish this once and for all... the chapter that is... The fic still has a long way to go.
> 
> I'm so grateful for all your support and so happy that you're enjoying the story! Keep being awesome and have a wonderful day!
> 
> Artsies by my lovely bae https://caspisan.deviantart.com

**Chapter Eight**

**An Unexpected Double Date**

 

 **J** asper blinked as she stepped outside and was blinded by a sneaky ray of sunlight. She stopped in her tracks and Amethyst – who was walking behind her – bumped into her.

“Watch out, fat ass!” The purple-haired girl exclaimed, worming past her.

“Excuse me, my ass may be huge but it’s very well-toned.” Jasper answered, a little too loud, just as the GS passed by. Pearl let out a small chuckle and walked outside into the yard. Amethyst narrowed her eyes.

“What was that?”

“What was what?” Jasper asked innocently.

“You know… Flirtian Dior over there?” Amethyst pointed both hands at Pearl. “Come on, you’re not that thick! She’s into you!”

Jasper shook her head.

“Nah, she isn’t!”

“Yes she is!” Amethyst pulled up her socks. “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you see it? You’re supposed to be good at this sort of thing.”

Both of them flinched at Barb’s whistle as they gym teacher came out onto the yard.

“Damn it!” Amethyst rubbed her left ear – the one that had been closest to the demonic sound – and moved towards the place where everyone was grouping up. Jasper sighed and followed.

“Okay people! We’re doing something different today!” Barb said while she was checking the list. “I guess Kevin is missing again – oh well. It’s easier when you have a guarantee of stay, I guess.” Everyone looked at each other, feeling uneasy. “Anyway – we’re going to learn some dances today.”

The class gasped. Pearl looked up, sharply.

“Dances?” Jenny asked. “Hell yeah, Miss Barb!” She started bending her knees but Barb stopped her.

“Yeah, we’re not twerking. We’re not doing that.” She scowled at Ruby, Jasper and Amethyst who were already at it. “This isn’t a joke.”

Pearl’s mouth corners were twitching slightly as she tried to hold composure. Somehow everything today led her back to Jasper’s butt.

“We’re going to learn some Latin dances today.” Barb continued, after shooting her nasty looks at the twerking girls. “And it’s going to be serious and fun and orderly. Now, if you will all line up for warm-ups…”

The class placed themselves in rows behind Barb, copying her stretching methods.

“Psst.” Amethyst hissed at Jasper, as their faces turned red from holding them at knee-height.  “Flirtian Dior… it’s a really good one.”

“I’m glad you’re proud of your own puns.” Jasper panted back.

“No… but… listen…” Amethyst shifted her weight to the other leg. “Jinju

is Bitchian Dior, Pearl is Flirtian Dior and now we just have to find names for the other ones.”

“Good. Have fun.” Jasper raised her head slowly as she moved back into position. Pearl was standing right in front of her, stretching elegantly. She could see her muscles twitching under her gym clothes and wondered why the thin girl was so toned. Then she remembered Pearl had told her that they had had a ballet program at their old school.

“Okay, let’s begin with an actual warm up now.” Barb started moving her arms and her legs wildly and everyone sighed. Soon enough, cries and punches were heard everywhere.

“More space, everyone!” Barb shouted. “You don’t have to touch each other!”

“But what if we want to!” Jasper replied, jokingly. 

“Mhhmh yes, Jasper!” Amethyst caressed her back and they both exploded into fits of laughter.

“Amethyst – Jasper. This is your final straw today. One more and you’re benched!” Barb said, matter-of-factly.

Pearl turned around towards the big girl with a smile. Her lips barely moved but Jasper could see it in her eyes… never before had someone smiled at her like that, so subtle yet so powerful at the same time. She held her gaze until the slender girl turned away again, and somehow one of the fall clouds covered the small ray of sunlight from before. Jasper blinked and turned back to Barb, who now had started to explain basic salsa steps.

“You know – If you’re gonna deny the whole Pearl thing, at least stop checking out her ass.” Amethyst whispered, a wide grin spreading across her face.

“The only ass I’m checking out right now is Barb’s.” Jasper whispered back, but then snorted. “That came out really weird, huh?”

Amethyst snorted too, going purple. They both ended up screaming with laughter and Barb turned around for the final time to bench them.

“I just wish you’d admit it being sober. I’m your friend, right?” Amethyst murmured, as they observed the rest of the class stumble behind Barb.

“There’s nothing to admit, she’s not my type…” Jasper sighed.

“Stop lying, I’ve known you for too long.” Amethyst growled through gritted teeth. “Besides, you confessed in the club when you were drunk.”

Jasper stared at Pearl, moving so elegantly in the middle of a chaotic crowd. To be fair, Akoya was pretty good too and Sapphire and Jinju seemed to know what they were doing as well. Lapis looked somewhat distracted and missed a few turns.

“Look, I don’t know what I told you when we went clubbing.” Jasper sighed. “But I can assure you, I’m not your average I-tell-the-truth-when-I’m-drunk-chick.”

“It’s just so frustrating.” Amethyst growled. “It’s like you think I’m stupid or something… we’re like sisters, you and me. It feels like you don’t trust me or shit…”

“I do trust you.” Jasper clenched her fists. “I honestly don’t like her.”  
Amethyst frowned and proceeded to lean with her head on her hands, checking out the rest of the class. The big girl sighed and turned away, wondering why it was so hard for Amethyst to believe her. Was it that obvious that Pearl made her feel things she didn’t know existed?

“But it’s just a phase.” Jasper told herself. “Whatever these feelings are, they won’t last… and I’m not going to bother anyone with them until they’re over because people like Amethyst would just end up making a big deal out of it and blow a thing like this out of proportion.”

Alas, what Jasper didn’t realize was that Amethyst had already blown something out of proportion – and that was her feeling that the big girl somehow didn’t trust her anymore. Amethyst couldn’t help but feeling left out and hurt, although she couldn’t admit that directly either. She remained silent until gym had passed and then walked away without another word. Jasper stared after her, feeling puzzled, but she didn’t pay much attention for Amethyst got into her little tempers and they usually blew away fairly soon. Instead she found that Pearl was walking her way and she stood rooted on the spot, her chest heaved with excitement. The thin girl smiled as she came near and grabbed one of Jasper’s light locks of hair, letting it run through her fingers.

“You got benched, huh?”

“I guess so.” Jasper chuckled and Pearl’s eyes twinkled.

“So dancing isn’t really your thing? I though you had moves back at the club…” She said.

“Oh I like dancing, Barb just sent us away ‘cause we were screwing around in her class. She does that.” Jasper grinned. Pearl still had her lock in her hand and she could feel it gently being caressed.

“I can’t imagine why…” Pearl said slyly, and they both laughed.

From a distance, Jinju frowned.

“What the flip.” She turned to Lapis and Akoya. “Look at them, don’t you think it’s suspicious? She’s all over Jasper!”

“Well, weren’t they supposed to do that?” Akoya asked. “So that Pink would throw a fit and get us out of this hellhole?”

“Yeah but Jinju’s right… it’s kind of suspicious…” Lapis muttered. “She looks so… into it.”

“Exactly.” Jinju took a step forwards. “Pearl even went clubbing with her a few nights ago! C’mon, you all saw the pictures posted on Gradient! They were holding hands…”

“They were dancing!” Akoya exclaimed. “That hardly means they’re getting married…”

“Oh come on! Would a brute like Jasper hold hands with anyone?” Jinju narrowed her eyes. “And more importantly, would Pearl?”

Akoya went quiet. Jinju had a point there.

 

                                                   *           *           *

“I’m telling you, it’s getting out of hand!” Amethyst slammed her fist on the table. She had gone into the classroom with Buck, Sour Cream, Jenny and Ruby. “Jasper likes Pearl – way too much!”

“Honestly… Pearl’s kinda cool.” Jenny said, absent-minded. “But do you really think they’re in love or something?”

“Maybe they’re just doing this for pretend.” Ruby stated. “Like they were supposed to.”

“Nah, my point is… it looks real. None of them can act that well.” Amethyst crossed her arms. “Seriously, I think we have a problem here.”

“Then we should spy on them.” Buck said.

“Yeah, I’ve got some bugs on me right now…” Sour Cream started emptying his pockets but Jenny stopped him.

“We don’t need no lame-ass gadgets.” She pointed out. “We just need someone to spy on them.”

“Not me.” Amethyst muttered. “She knows I’m onto her.”

At that moment Jinju came walking in with Lapis and Akoya, talking loudly.

“… and if you guys aren’t gonna do anything about it, I am! Pearl can’t just go around pretending nothing’s different when she’s slobbering all over Jasp- heeeeeeeey.”

Jinju stopped in mid sentence, staring blankly at Amethyst and the others, whose eyebrows had risen until the roof.

“Do go on.” Buck said, after an awkward silence.

Jinju gulped, but Amethyst grinned and stood up, walking towards her slowly but steadily.

“So, I think we have reached the same conclusion.” She muttered.

“You have?” Jinju asked.

“Pearl and Jasper… it’s not going like we planned.” The purple-haired girl sighed. “They’re crushing for real.

“Well, yes.” Jinju looked up. “What do you want to do about it?”

“Now we’re speaking.” Amethyst turned to the others. “We wanted to send out somebody to spy on them. Now that we know that you guys find it suspicious too, maybe we could send out two people… one of us… and one of you.”

“Two people to spy on Jasper and Pearl?” Jinju asked, and a sly grin grew upon her face. “That’s not a bad idea… yes…” She turned to Lapis and Akoya. “I can’t do it, Pearl would grow suspicious…”

“Like you don’t burst into her place obnoxiously at every hour already…” Akoya muttered but nobody paid any attention.

“I don’t really want to do it either.” Lapis muttered.

“Who are you sending?” Jinju asked Amethyst.

“We haven’t decided yet.” The short girl answered. “But I think Peridot’s a good option. She’s so innocent… if they do happen to see her, they won’t pay any mind to it…”

“In that case we could send Sapphy…” Jinju suggested. “They’re friends, so they wouldn’t be suspicious if seen together.”

Lapis cleared her throat loudly.

“I’ve changed my mind, I’ll go.” She said, taking everyone aback. “Sapphy can’t handle situations like that… she’d blab if Pearl were to ask her anything… I’ll go… with Peridot… I’m a good liar.”

Everyone stared at her, puzzled by her change of heart. Akoya smiled a little.

“I guess… that’s settled, then.” Jinju muttered. She turned to Amethyst. “You guys tell Peridot. We’ll make sure Lapis does her job.”

The rest of the class came walking in suddenly and they all scattered about to get to their seats. Vidalia walked in briskly, a stack of papers in her hands, and slammed them down on her desk.

“We have got to talk about the upcoming end of term exams!” She exclaimed. The entire class groaned.

 

                                                  *           *           *

Jasper slipped past her gang at the entrance of the school and leaned against a streetlamp, observing the GS. Pearl was letting everyone in her car and checking her watch.

“I’ll drop you off at Jinju’s, I might not be on time for ballet…” She was muttering.

“You have plenty of time, it’s at the damned Boulevard!” Lapis groaned, but she got a nasty look thrown at her, and stepped into the car silently. Jasper grinned and turned towards her friends.

“I’m going home early – gotta help dad with…” She paused. “Cars.”

She headed for the subway swiftly as Amethyst raised her eyebrow.

“She’s up to something.” The girl nudged Ruby. “Go get Peridot, she stayed behind to help Vidalia but she’ll be out any minute now. I’ll text Jinju.”

The sandy-haired girl was perched in a ball in the passenger’s seat of Pearl’s car when her phone went off. She looked at the screen and saw a text from an unknown number.

_The game is on._

_Send lapis to boulevard._

_AME._

Jinju sat up straight and turned to Lapis, who was staring out of the window, a bored look on her face. She tried to get her attention by waving a little but the blue-haired girl kept her eyes glued on the road. The Winkle twins were very annoying in that aspect – she never knew if they were faking it or actually didn’t notice.

“Oy!” She whispered, way to loud.

“Jinju, stop distracting me or I swear to God, I’ll drive over someone!” Pearl shouted.

“Oh calm down, Road-Rage & Gabbana.” Jinju hissed and Sapphire laughed out loud.

“You sound like Amethyst!” She exclaimed. “I have to text this to Peridot, she’ll find it so funny!”

“Text, of course…” Jinju started writing a message to Lapis.

_Go join Peridot at Boulevard._

_Spy on Pearl._

 

To her great horror, Lapis didn’t answer; her phone didn’t even make the usual text ping. Stupid Lapis! Why couldn’t she just spend all her time on social media like NORMAL people? Jinju gritted her teeth because she knew there was just one other person in the car who was part of the plan.

When had it been the last time she had texted Akoya?

Jinju sighed deeply and started writing. Even though Akoya hardly ever posted anything, she always checked her notifications.

_Hello Akoya_ /

 

Jinju groaned. That sounded way too formal for a text. She quickly erased it.

 

_Hey Ako…/_

Well that sounded as if she was going to talk about their past. Jinju sighed again and erased it as well.

 

_Akoya. Tell Lapis to look at her text._

Jinju knew she had made the right decision. This wasn’t awkward at all; it was actually quite correct. Why wouldn’t she send something like that? There was nothing wrong with it…

Her heart leapt when she received a response and opened Ako’s message quickly:

 

_new phone who dis_

Jinju turned around furiously to find a grinning Akoya in the back seat. The blue-haired girl snorted.

“Just kidding.” She whispered and proceeded to prod Lapis, who jumped. Jinju leaned back into her seat. That was the first time in ages that she had seen Akoya genuinely smile at her again. The thought of retrieving a moment like that overwhelmed her with emotions and she almost forgot about Jasper and Pearl altogether.

But Lapis shook her out of her dream, luckily.

“Yo, Pearl. Drop me off at Boulevard, I need to get something.” She said, and got a nod from the red-haired girl. Jinju smiled: it was on.

Back at school, the gang had intercepted Peridot in the hallway and were explaining the plan to the bewildered girl.

“You want me to spy on them?” She asked, perplexed. “Why on Earth? I have studying to do…”

“No, WE have studying to do.” Jenny said. “We need it, unlike you. Besides, Lapis will be there to help.”

“Lapis?” Peridot groaned. “Why her?”

“She wanted to come herself.” Amethyst said matter-of-factly. “No one else volunteered…”

“Well I don’t want to volunteer.” Peridot mumbled, and tried to get away but Amethyst stopped her.

“C’mon Perry… it’s for a good cause.”

“How is spying on people for a good cause?” Peridot exclaimed.

“Shhhhh!” Everyone hissed and Amethyst covered her mouth, looking around them, a concerned look on her face.

“Peri…” She muttered. “No one can know. We’re doing this to help Jasper. To help both of them!”

Peridot broke free of Amethyst and crossed her arms.

“How are you helping them?”

“We need to know if they actually like each other.” The purple-haired girl explained. “It could get really dangerous if they do… Jasper overheard what Pearl said before and she suddenly ran towards the subway. I bet my sweet ass she’s going to Boulevard to join her there!”

“Pearl has ballet there…” Peridot sighed. “Why would Jasper join her?”

“Because we think she has a real crush.” Amethyst groaned. “You get it, Peri… and you’re really small and innocent… they’ll never find out if you go.”

“Alright, fine!” Peridot muttered. “I’ll go. But next time tell me beforehand. I don’t like surprises.”

“Okay, whatever.” Amethyst pulled a subway card out of her pocket and handed it to her. “For your troubles. I found it on the floor and it has a couple of rides on it still.”

“Wow thanks.” Peridot snapped, and headed towards the subway station, muttering loudly. Amethyst and Jenny high-fived.

“I hope they dig up some dirt.” Ruby peeped.

“Oh yeah.” Buck drawled and they laughed. Only Amethyst remained serious because she knew that she was about to find out if her friend had been keeping things from her. And that wasn’t a very nice thing to look forward to.

 

*           *           *

 

Peridot sighed deeply as she got out of the subway station and treaded upon the Boulevard, Beach City’s crowded downtown. She knew the way because Sapphire had taken her shopping there that one time with the GS, but she felt disorientated all the same. She disliked large amounts of people and would have preferred to just head home instead of spying on Jasper and Pearl… with Lapis of all people!

Speaking of the Devil, where was she? Peridot turned her head around, trying to make out her shape between the crowds, but she couldn’t see anyone. It wasn’t until a bus moved away from its stop when she saw her, leaning against one of the reddish pillars of the big mall. Her hair blew over her face and she was smirking as she looked right at her. Peridot cringed a little; Lapis always seemed to have the ability to X-ray.

She walked towards the blue-haired girl a little reluctant. When she reached her, Lapis smiled.

“Hey Peri, ready to go on our first date?”

“Oh stop it, Lapis.” The small girl muttered. “Leave me alone; let’s do our job and go home.”  
“Your place or mine?”

“I’m done with you already!”

 

 

 

              _"Lapis always seemed to have the ability to X-ray."_

 

The two girls walked around the boardwalk for a while, side by side. Lapis seemed to be in very good humor and that just made Peridot feel more irritable by the minute. Nothing could seem to dampen the blue-haired girl’s spirits… not even the groups of tourists holding up the pace because they had to take pictures!

“You know… we’re here to check on Jasper and Pearl.” The small girl muttered, taking her phone out of her pocket. “I wouldn’t have met up with you otherwise.”

“You’re so cute when you lie.” Lapis chuckled, and walked on, leaving Peridot making infuriated sounds against a pillar. The tall girl smiled; Peridot really was cute when she got mad… and it was obvious that she liked her… how couldn’t she? Everyone dreamed of dating someone in the GS, so why would Peridot be different?

Lapis headed into the small boulevard park next to the shopping mall. It was the perfect place to keep watch over the school where Pearl attended for ballet lessons and you could also see the boardwalk itself, in case a wild Jasper appeared. It was a neat little park with a low iron gate and bushes growing against it. It had a semi-large lake in the middle where people could skate in the cold months, although the GS had never gone there to skate. Lapis shrugged; it was kind of small. She sat down on one of the park benches and beckoned Peridot over.

“We can observe them from here…” She said. “See those doors over there?” Lapis pointed at the side of the mall where the dance academy was. “That’s where Pearl trains. If we don’t see Jasper here, I’ll eat my skirt.”

“Fine.” Peridot sat down beside her and rested her head on her arms. “Let’s hope Jasper turns up quickly so we can go home.”

Lapis sat in silence for a while, but then turned towards Peridot.

“Why don’t you want to admit that you like me?” She asked, softly.

“Because I don’t.” Peridot sighed. “I thought I had made that clear the other day when you asked me out on a date and I said no!”

“But why?” Lapis frowned. “I just don’t get it… no one has ever rejected me before…”

Peridot sighed again.

“Look, Lapis… I’m the one who doesn’t get it. You’re… you. And I’m… me. You’re rich, you’re beautiful and you come from a good family… you have a nice mansion and great friends… you even have two amazing sisters… why on Earth would you want to date me of all people? I’m not rich… I’m certainly not beautiful… my family’s pretty average and if it weren’t for Sapphire, I wouldn’t have any friends… Can you tell me why you’d choose me instead of someone in your world who’s up to your standards?”

Lapis tilted her head slightly.

“Because I already have all that…” She whispered.

“What?” Peridot raised an eyebrow.

“It’s like you said… I have all the money I need… I’m pretty… I have all those things you seem to find so amazing and rare, but they’re just average to me. All that is my daily life and it’s sickening. It’s like being trapped in a golden cage…” She looked at the small girl. “Somehow being with you… it’s so refreshing. You don’t need to keep up appearances because everyone has already labelled you a nerd. There’s no status for you to uphold, no one expects anything grand from you in terms of popularity. You’re just studying hard in order to graduate and then you’ll probably find a good job, a much better job than some of the rest could ever hope for. Everything about you is so serious and down to Earth… Peridot, if there would be an Earthquake right now, you’d be the one I’d hold.”

The small girl curled up in a ball on the bench where they were sitting. Lapis – although slightly out of line – had been so sincere, it was almost strange to see the girl opening up about her true feelings. And they seemed true alright.

“I…” Peridot said in a small voice. “I appreciate you telling me this.”

“Did I make an impression?” Lapis asked with a shadow of a smile forming on her lips. “I didn’t, did I?” She sighed. “What does it take to impress you?”

“I don’t know…” Peridot whispered.

“I mean… I know I can’t really make you like me.” Lapis muttered. “But I’d really like to know why… why not?”

“It’s not exactly easy for me to explain…” Peridot said.

“Please try.”

“Well…” The small girl groaned. “Oh, Lapis… I don’t know… I’ve never liked anyone and this is a really confusing situation for me. No one’s ever liked me either, you know… I don’t know how to handle it…” She hugged her own knees. “I just don’t feel the same way people are supposed to feel, and I have nothing to compare it too… at first I thought you were just messing with me and – trust me – that was easier to understand than having you actually like me…”

“Is it because everyone has always treated you like you don’t matter?” Lapis asked.

“Maybe… I don’t know… I’m not even sure if I can like someone, Lapis.” Peridot sighed. “We live in this structured society where you learn that boys and girls like each other and form a family to have more boys and girls… My family’s already bothering me about grandchildren and I’m still in high school… why, they don’t even care if I go to college!” She sighed deeply. “I mean, they do… they think I should get a good education and a good job but they’re also quite religious and trust me… if I bring anything else than a man home…” She stopped and sighed.

“Is that the problem?” Lapis wondered.

“Not entirely… I’m pretty sure I don’t like guys.” Peridot mumbled. “But I don’t see myself getting romantically involved with anyone… certainly not someone like you.”

“But… why?” Lapis pleaded. “I just need to know why… all you’ve said were general reasons to not date anyone…”

“I don’t love you.” Peridot interrupted.

“What?” Lapis was taken aback.

“I don’t love you… I’ve only known you since September and that’s way too early for me to fall in love.” Peridot frowned. “And I can’t go around dating someone I don’t love. I mean – yes, Lapis. You’re perfect. I could dream of someone like you… but I can only commit to something one hundred per cent. And I don’t think us being together would ever work, coming from such different backgrounds… the Diamonds would break this up as soon as possible… and then what? I’d be left brokenhearted and probably jobless because they wouldn’t let me near any company ever again. They control everything, Lapis… you know that better than I. They’d break me and it would be the end… I wouldn’t have a future and I wouldn’t have you.”

“So…” Lapis said. “You’d rather not have me from the beginning?”

“Yes.” Peridot answered. “It’s much easier like this.”

“So… it’s not because you don’t like me? I mean… you don’t love me, I get it… that needs to grow…” Lapis smiled a little. “You just… don’t want to get hurt?”

“I guess you could put it that way…” Peridot sighed.

Lapis sat quietly for a while, looking over at the ocean beyond the boardwalk. Then, she turned back to the small girl.

“I’m glad you told me.” She muttered. “I won’t bother you anymore, you have my word.”

“Wow…” Peridot gazed at her in awe. “Thanks.”

The two girls turned back to the dance academy, their hearts slightly lighter. It had been the first sincere talk they’d ever had. Maybe even the first real talk…

 

*           *           *

Jasper stared at the ocean, wondering if she was being stupid. She had taken the subway downtown and waited behind one of the mall’s pillars to see if Pearl came by. She had seen her emerge from the parking lot with Lapis and enter the dance academy, leaving the blue-haired girl behind. From that point, Jasper had gone to the beach and had ordered a coke. She had been pondering about her decision ever since.

What had made her do that? She had no idea… crushing on Pearl was bad enough as it is, but following her all the way downtown – that was just scary. What had she become?

The big girl’s heart leaped as she realized she hadn’t checked the time in a while. She checked on her phone and saw that she had been waiting there for a couple of hours… what if Pearl had already left? That would be stupid! But then again… if Pearl were still there, wouldn’t it be stupid too? Jasper hurried over towards the dance academy and casually perched herself against one of the pillars. After what seemed an eternity, the doors opened and students started streaming out, but Pearl wasn’t there. Jasper frowned. Maybe she took a different class?

Her theory was confirmed when the door opened once more to show the red-haired girl walking out gloomily, checking her phone and… wearing a tracksuit? Jasper was almost too taken aback of seeing her in something like that – she almost forgot to react. But Pearl noticed her standing there and her face lit up, although she was also surprised. She walked towards her and the big girl noticed her hair wasn’t in it’s usual bun. It was actually bobbing at shoulder length. She felt her heart skip a beat.  
“Jasper?” Pearl asked, putting her phone away. “What are you… how… did you come for me?”

The big girl couldn’t help but grin and hoped that she didn’t look too silly doing so. Pearl was just standing there and her astonished smile was almost too much for her; following her to the dance school had been worth it.

“I did.” Jasper said softly.

“But how…” Pearl heaved her bag up her shoulder. “Did you… like… follow me?”

“Kinda…” Jasper cleared her throat. “I overheard you had to go to Boulevard so… I waited.”

“But why?” Pearl came closer and looked up at the big girl, a lopsided grin spreading across her face. “Stalker.”

“I’m here to take you… into town?” Jasper tried.

“Like a date?” Pearl laughed.

“Maybe.” Jasper felt her chest heave, something that always happened when she was a little nervous.

“Well… I’m afraid I don’t really look the part…” Pearl said with a half a smile, as she made a small twirl. “I’m wearing a tracksuit.”

“Well, so am I…” Jasper grinned and Pearl snorted.

“You almost always wear one… it doesn’t count.” She protested.

“But I look fabulous anyway.” The big girl flexed her muscles and Pearl couldn’t help but blush.

“You sure do.” She patted Jasper’s arm. “Fine, let’s go… I’ll just drop my bag in the car and we can go for a walk on the boardwalk… it’s nice in the evening…”

She grabbed the big girl’s arm and pulled her with her towards the parking lot, never noticing two pairs of excited eyes spying from behind the bushes in the park.

Lapis and Peridot had been sitting on the bench awkwardly for a long time. Even though they had really opened up to each other, the things they had said weren’t really conversation starters – more like conversation enders. Peridot had been feeling a little guilty for rejecting Lapis so brutally and the blue-haired girl felt an overwhelming sense of lost pride she couldn’t exactly deal with. Luckily for both, Jasper had appeared in sight and they had finally had a job to do. They watched in amazement as the two girls – too far away to be properly overheard – entered in a sequence of body language that could only be translated into flirting.

“Where are they going?” Lapis hissed, in awe. “What the actual flip!”

“Should we follow them?” Peridot stood up, but the taller girl grabbed her by the wrist.

“Quietly!” She whispered. “We don’t want to get caught!”

Lapis and Peridot exited the park and tailed the two girls closely, making sure to keep behind the columns of Boulevard’s mall. They saw the two girls dropping Pearl’s bag into her car and then heading towards the boardwalk again, which made them panic.

“Crap!” Lapis pushed Peridot into the nearest shop and they stumbled behind a large white couch near the window. They watched Pearl and Jasper pass by and slowly came out, trying to see where they were going. They were soon interrupted by one of the shopkeepers, a smart-looking woman in her thirties who wore a neat black and white pantsuit.

“I must ask you to leave at once.” She asked, a dark look on her face.

The two girls stood up.

“No, we’re sorry!” Peridot began to peep, but the shopkeeper paid no attention when her eyes caught sight of Lapis.

“Oh dear! Miss Winkle! I’m so sorry, I didn’t notice you! Please excuse me for my rude behavior…”

Peridot stared in astonishment as she saw the shopkeeper’s face turn white. But that wasn’t all; the rest of the shop had gone quiet as well. All the other assistants were shaking their head and a few of the buyers made small impertinent noises.

“Yeah, it’s me.” Lapis voice had grown cold and authoritative. “What did you just say?”

“I believe I was apologizing, miss.” The shopkeeper couldn’t meet her eyes; she was shaking like a leaf. “I had mistaken you for… you know… with that child next to you… a lot of thieves come in here, you must understand…”

“It’s okay.” Peridot piped up again. “It’s a simple misunderstanding.”

“Actually.” Lapis raised an eyebrow, never keeping her eyes off the shopkeeper. “It’s not a misunderstanding, Peridot, it’s prejudice.” She walked towards the woman. “If you’re going to apologize, do it properly. Apologize to my friend.”

The shopkeeper seemed to have a small internal fight, but Lapis’ stern glance won her over and she gazed at Peridot, mumbling a small ‘I’m sorry.’

“That’s better.” Lapis grabbed the small girl by the arm. “We’ll be leaving now.”

“Will… are you…” The shopkeeper started mumbling.

“I’m not going to report this incident to my mother.” Lapis said and the entire shop heaved a sigh of relief.

“Oh thank you, Miss Winkle!” The shopkeeper beamed, but the blue-haired girl walked out without another word, scowling. Once on the street again, Peridot turned towards her.

“What was that all about? Don’t you think you went a little too far?” The small girl asked.

“Too far? They should be glad it was me, not Jinju.” Lapis shrugged. “I mean, come on! Those people are vultures… in shops like those, if you’re a commoner, you’re suspicious. She thought you were a thief…”

“She just made sure that I wasn’t…” Peridot sighed. “You were so extra, Lapis. I’m used to people calling me names.”

“Well, don’t be!” The taller girl exclaimed angrily. “Don’t let people get away with it, Peridot!”

“That’s easy for you to say, people almost get a heart attack when facing you!” The small girl retorted. “It’s all very easy when you’re privileged.”

“No, it’s not.” Lapis sighed. “There are some things in this world that no privilege can save you from – as there are numerous things you can achieve without privilege. Sure, I was born in a mansion and all – but I’m empty inside, Peridot. There’s no guarantee that it’ll stay that way. I have to work for the future of our enterprises as well… and even then, it’s a fragile business.”

“Yeah yeah… your stocks might crash…” Peridot grumbled.

“And look at me now.” Lapis smiled wryly. “Rich, smart and beautiful, but I can’t get every single thing that I want. If that isn’t a wake up call to reality, I don’t know what is.”

Peridot gulped, guilt flushing back in her throat. But the blue-haired girl looked ahead of them and pointed in the distance.

“Come one, we’re losing them.” She muttered, and they took off once more to follow Jasper and Pearl.

 

*           *           *

The boardwalk was chilly in the evening, but a whole set of lights made it a cozy place to be with the soft music coming from the restaurants on the beach and white noise of the waves crashing on shore. Pearl and Jasper walked side by side slowly, as if their pace could stretch the hours of the day. Both had that unexplainable feeling of time dread. Their watches seemed more unstoppable than usual and neither wanted it to be time to go home. Pearl suddenly clung to Jasper’s arm and wouldn’t let lose anymore, to the big girl’s delight. Both their hearts were pounding extra fast, and even though they knew that was trouble, they couldn’t help but feeling that magnetic connection.

“It’s really cold.” Pearl muttered.

“Do you want to go inside somewhere?” Jasper craned her neck to see if one of the restaurants seemed alright.

“No… it’s okay… what’s that?” Pearl pointed at a cluster of lights in the distance. A loud noise could be heard from time to time as the wind came their way.

“Oh… that’s just Funland…” Jasper grinned, but Pearl looked blank.

“Fun – what?”

“Funl…” Jasper began, but then she stopped and turned to Pearl. “Don’t you know what Funland is? It’s only the coolest place on the boardwalk!”

“How so?” Pearl asked dryly.

“Well… it’s like a semi-permanent fair…  It’s usually here all summer, but now that Christmas is around the corner, they’ve set it up for the holidays.” The big girl smiled. “It has a lot of cool rides, wanna go see?”

“Yeah!” Pearl brightened up. “I’ve never been to a fair before, I always wondered how it would be like!”

“What do you mean, you’ve never been to a fair before?” Jasper muttered, as they walked on. “You could buy one with your pocket money.”

“Unfortunately, we’re expected to buy other stuff with our pocket money.” Pearl said, pointedly. “We don’t really go to fairs, we organize fundraisers.”

“Well, these tickets are on me.” Jasper smiled. “You can go on as many rides as you like today!”

Pearl laughed and squeezed Jasper’s arm.

“Okay!” She said. “Show me this Land of Fun!”

They hurried on towards Funland and passed the owner, Mr. Smiley, at the door. He nodded at them and proceeded to walk towards the ticket booth. Jasper took out her wallet while Pearl stared in awe at the rides.

“I want to get on that one!” She pointed at the swing carrousel. Jasper went white. “Is that okay?”

“Y.. yeah… sure.” Jasper turned to Mr. Smiley. “Two tickets for the chair swings, please.”

The big girl could have slapped herself. The chair rides were her biggest fear in the whole of Funland. She didn’t have any problem with the other rides, but she got really sick with all that turning and swinging in the air. Amethyst had once made her ride it for times in a row and she still hadn’t lived that moment down. Nor had Mr. Smiley, who was eyeing her suspiciously.

“Aren’t you the one who threw up all over the…?” He asked, but Jasper interrupted him.

“Must have been someone else!” She grabbed the tickets and hurried to the small line waiting to get on the ride. Pearl bobbed up and down beside her, looking extremely happy.

“I can’t believe I’m going to ride one of these!” She squeaked. “I’ve only seen them in movies.”

“You’re weird.” Jasper felt a lump rise in her throat. She hoped she’d survive the ride.

After a few minutes, Mr. Smiley came to open the ride and everyone scrambled to find a good place. Jasper and Pearl moved towards a double seat and sat down, waiting for Mr. Smiley to fasten their belts. Jasper felt droplets of sweat running down her face as the music started and the ride began to turn around.

It was all fun and games in the beginning, of course. But then Jasper felt the familiar lurch of the machine rising up and sending the seats flying everywhere. The second time that happened, they were about ten feet off the ground and the swinging was becoming unbearable. Pearl, on the other hand was screaming in delight, and she had never looked so happy before.

“We’re flying!” She cried, smiling at Jasper. The big girl tried to smile back but it was all she could do to stop from emptying her stomach that high in the air. She heaved a sigh of relief when the machine finally lowered the seats and stopped, allowing her to break free and rush towards the wooden gate that separated the boardwalk from the ocean. Without stopping to think, Jasper threw up into the water below to her heart’s content. She turned around slowly to see a concerned Pearl standing behind her.

“Are you… um… okay?” The red-haired girl asked.

Jasper snorted.

“I am now…” She walked towards the girl. “I’m sorry, I get really sick in that flying hell thing.”

Pearl sighed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You wanted to ride it!” Jasper stopped next to a drinking fountain and took a few sips of the ice cold water that came out. “Ahhh, that’s better.”

“Jasper, you silly thing.” Pearl took her hand and squeezed it. “I wouldn’t have put you through this if I’d have known you’d get this sick.”

“I’m fine now, aren’t I?” Jasper enclosed Pearl’s hand with her fingers for a slight second, and then let go, clearing her throat loudly. “It’s getting really late.”  
“Yeah.” Pearl agreed, mournfully. “Let’s walk back to the car.”

 

 

 

The girls headed off towards the parking-lot in silence, a little sad that their time spent together was coming to an end. When they finally reached the car, Jasper turned to Pearl.

“Well, this is my stop.” She grinned, pulling out her subway card.

“Don’t be silly.” Pearl slapped her hand away. “I’m taking you home. I know where you live…”

“Well in that case…” Jasper suddenly stopped and squinted in the direction of the Boulevard Mall. “Peridot?”

The small girl came from behind a column.

“Heeeeeey, guys… what a coincidence!” Peridot walked towards them. “Do you enjoy shopping here at 11pm as well? It’s one of my favorite hobbies!”

“Cut the crapp.” Pearl growled. “Where’s Lapis?”

“What do you…?”

But Lapis herself appeared from behind the same column.

“It’s no use, Peridot. Pearl’s too smart for this shit. I told you to be careful and not get yourself caught.”

Jasper stared at both of them in amazement.

“What’s going on?” She asked.

“Meanwhile, Johnny Bravo has a lot to learn.” Lapis snorted.

“Oh, shut up, Lapis.” Pearl sighed and turned to Jasper. “This looks like Jinju’s work… Sending them to spy on us…”

“To be fair, Jinju wasn’t the only one.” Peridot mumbled. “The whole class is concerned that…”

“That what?” Pearl and Jasper both snapped.

“That you’re taking it too far!” Lapis said. “You guys are supposed to pretend to date, not actually date!”

“Yeah… just like you’re pretending to dislike Peridot when you’re actually falling for her!” Pearl got into her car. “Hop in, all of you! I’m taking you home!”

Jasper climbed in the passenger’s seat while Lapis and Peridot settled for the back. For a while there was only an awkward silence, but then Pearl spoke up.

“I’m driving past our manors first so that I can dump Lapis and then take the highway to the suburbs where Peridot lives.” She growled.

“Pearl… for what’s worth it… they made me do it.” Peridot peeped.

“I’m not blaming you… even my old friends participated in this.” Pearl sighed, turning on the signal to get off the highway. “You’re all making a much bigger deal of this situation…”

“Well, you guys were being all mushy…” Lapis muttered, from the back.

“I don’t do mushy.” Jasper said proudly, but Pearl snorted.

“You took me on a ride even though it made you sick.” She whispered. “I call that mushy…”

“GUYS.” Peridot suddenly exclaimed, and they all jolted up.

“What’s wrong?” Pearl asked.

“I don’t have my keys on me.” The small girl wailed.

“Christ, don’t you have parents?” Pearl exclaimed. “Can’t you get in?”

“They’re out of town! That’s the only reason I was able to stay out this late today!” Peridot mumbled. “They went to visit my aunt in Ocean Town, and they’ll be back tomorrow, but I can hardly call them now, can I?”

Everyone face-palmed.

“Damn it, Peridot… you’re such a klutz.” Jasper growled.

“Just sleep over with me.” Lapis mumbled. “Plenty of spare rooms.”

“Yeah, you do that.” Pearl heaved a sigh of relief. “Sapphy’s probably awake so you can have a PJ party!”

Peridot seemed comforted after that, so they drove on towards the mansions, stopping in front of the Winkle’s.

“I’ll see you two tomorrow.” Pearl said, as Lapis and Peridot got out.

“I sure hope so.” Lapis pointed at the Amaranto mansion. “Did you miss the memo of a party being at your own house?”

Pearl looked in the direction of her own manor, on top of the hill, and her heart skipped a beat. All the lights were on and a dozen expensive cars were parked in the driveway. How could she have been so stupid? It was the first day of the “November Rush”, when all the departments came together to talk about the Christmas weeks. Pink usually hosted a big reception and Pearl could remember her mother mentioning something about how she should be there as well.

“Shit shit shit!” Pearl looked at Lapis. “Tell Jinju to cover for me, I’m out of here!” And she gave gas, driving away as fast as she could.

Peridot stared at Lapis, perplexed.

“What’s going on?” She asked.

“That’s going on.” Lapis pointed at Pearl’s mansion and they saw a figure walking briskly in the direction of the gate. It was Pink. “Come on, we need to move!” She took Peridot’s arm and pulled her inside the gates of her own manor, running swiftly through the gardens. Fortunately, Pink turned around and went back to the party.

“What… the… hell… Lapis!” Peridot panted, as they reached the outdoor swimming pool.

“Pink saw Pearl’s car, Peridot.” Lapis explained. “That’s why she came down to the driveway.”

“So?” The small girl asked.

“So someone doesn’t want her mother finding out about Jasper!” Lapis growled.

“But wasn’t that the plan?” Peridot frowned.

“Yes, yes it was.” The blue-haired girl sighed. “This just raises our suspicion, Peridot. Pearl CARES about Jasper. She doesn’t want her mother harming her in any way, that’s why she left in such a hurry. She’s protecting her!”

“Oh my God…” The small girl leaned against the outer wall, feeling faint. Lapis shook her head, staring at the dark pool.

“I don’t know for how long she can hold that, though…” She sighed. “If anyone’s going to find out about them, it’s Pink Amaranto.” She looked at Peridot. “Well, come on! I’ll take you to Sapphy and you guys can have a sleepover or something.”

 

*           *           *

Jasper opened the garage door quietly and beckoned Pearl to step inside. The thin girl stared in amazement as they walked through the work-space that smelled strongly of metal and rubber. Jasper led her through the maze of cars, tires and tables cluttered with wrenches until they reached a small door at the side of the building. They went through it and appeared in a little living-room, with just a simple TV, a worn-out couch and a tiny kitchen at the side. Pearl was shocked… did Jasper really live in that miniature – although cozy – place?

The big girl led her through another door next to the kitchen and they entered in a cramped bedroom. A large bookcase covered the entire wall opposite the door, and a single bed was pushed against it, leaving room for a narrow desk on the other side.

“Is this… your room?” Pearl muttered.

“When it’s not my dad’s study.” Jasper grinned. “Luckily, he doesn’t need it too often.”

“So… um… where should I sleep?” Pearl mumbled.

“I don’t exactly have more than one bed and you can’t crash on the couch if you don’t want my father to find you there in the morning.” Jasper sighed. “Plus, it’s not very comfortable.”

Pearl sighed deeply.

“So… are you going to sleep on the couch?” She asked.

“If I must…” Jasper grumbled a little and pulled the covers off her bed. Pearl stared at the cheap white spread, decorated with blue squares. Everything about the room was simple and it didn’t really seem like someone’s bedroom. There were no pictures, no drawings… nothing that stated that Jasper was sleeping there. It felt like the kind of room you’d be put in when visiting someone, and even those seemed cozier.

Jasper turned to Pearl and smiled.

“If you’re wondering why it’s so shitty… we had to find a new house in a short amount of time and this was the only one we could afford the rent of.”

Pearl went red.

“I just…” She began. “It doesn’t look like YOUR room, you know?”

“All my stuff is strewn over boxes in the garage.” Jasper laughed. “It’s fine, really… one day I’ll have a place of my own and I’ll make it cool.”

She turned back to Pearl. “You know, you could have just let me go with the subway and you would have been nice and cozy in your four poster bed right now.”

“My mother saw the car, Jasper. I had to flee.” Pearl sat on the bed. “I’m sorry that I’m here bothering you, but I can’t really go back now without a proper excuse…” She sighed and looked apologetic. “Do you have some PJ’s?”

Jasper snorted and headed for the corridor, where a small wardrobe stood. She opened and Pearl was horrified to see the kind of clothes inside… it was full of jeans, tank tops and tracksuits along with a whole bunch of shirts that belonged to Jasper’s father.

“Do you share a wardrobe?” Pearl whispered.

“Sorry.” Jasper grinned. “I know it’s a lot to process.”

“No… I…” Pearl sighed as the big girl handed her a pair of soft gray sporty pants and what looked like a cozy sweater. “I’m sorry, Jasper. I’m an asshole.” She walked back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. “I really appreciate you letting me stay here…”

“I’ll be in the bathroom while you change.” Jasper grinned. “Don’t worry, I’m used to you guys telling me I’m poor.”

“I’m not Jinju!” Pearl exclaimed.

“I know you’re not.” Jasper smiled.

Pearl sighed again as the big girl left and quickly shut the door behind her. She stripped and pulled on Jasper’s clothes as swift as possible. They looked rather baggy on her but they were really soft and warm, turning them into the most comfortable PJ’s she had ever worn. She curled up under the blankets just in time for Jasper to come in. She had changed as well and was wearing a white tank top and blue shorts… unlike Pearl, the clothes didn’t look baggy at all on her and kind of showed off all her muscles. The red-haired girl followed her every move as she dumped some clothes on her chair and left her schoolbag on her desk. Jasper caught her look and grinned.

“I’ll be out in a minute, princess. Just getting ready for tomorrow…”

“Jasper.” Pearl interrupted.

“Hm?”

“We can both sleep here, I mean… it’ll fit…” Pearl moved over and turned around, facing the bookcase. She felt her cheeks blushing feverishly. Her heart skipped a beat as the lights suddenly turned off and she felt Jasper getting into bed beside her. For some reason the temperature went up almost at once and Pearl wished she could dive into a pool of ice. What was happening? She was laying with her back to the big girl, she couldn’t even see her… was it her presence that turned her world upside down?

Jasper chuckled.

“If you’re attracted to me, you can just say it, you know.” She whispered.

“Ew.” Pearl answered.

“It’s okay… most people are… I have good arms.” Jasper laughed softly. “Wanna touch them?”

“I already have.” Pearl tried to move even further away but felt the hard cold covers of the books in the case pressing on her skin. Actually, it felt kind of nice! Pearl pressed her face against the cold and sighed. Jasper was one of a kind for sure…

Slowly yet steadily, Pearl managed to fall asleep and then turned around, muttering in her dreams. Jasper smiled and stroked her hair gently, wondering why she had to feel what she felt for her. Pearl whimpered a little and suddenly clutched her tightly, making the big girl blush. But she smiled none the less and held her close, so close it made her heart race. It would be a miracle if she would get some sleep that night.

 

*           *           *

 

Peridot smiled as Sapphire handed her a pair of clean PJ’s and a toothbrush. The small girl had been delighted when Lapis had announced she could have a surprise sleepover.

“It was a weird day…” Peridot confessed, as Sapphire enquired about her sudden arrival. And that was certainly true…

“It’s okay.” Sapphire smiled. “I’m sure you’re tired. I’ll get the gossip out of you tomorrow…”

Peridot smiled gratefully and headed towards the bathroom, clutching her stuff. Once there, she started brushing her teeth but a sudden movement in the mirror made her look up. Lapis was standing in the doorway.

The small girl turned around, wondering what that was all about.

“For the record.” Lapis mumbled. “I think you’re beautiful.”

“What?” Peridot almost gagged on her toothbrush.

“Remember what you said today? About not being pretty or rich and all that?” Lapis kept on mumbling. “I think you are… pretty. Beautiful. Yeah, that’s all I wanted to say, really…” She started walking away but Peridot cleared away her toothpaste and came running after her.

“Lapis, wait!” She took hold of the blue-haired girl’s arm, lowering her down to her own height. Then, she placed a swift kiss on her cheek. “I think you’re beautiful too.” She whispered. “I’m sorry I’m such an idiot who doesn’t know how to channel her feelings.” And with that she ran back to Sapphire’s room, shutting the door behind her.

Lapis stood motionless in the corridor, wondering if that had been real. She touched her cheek with her hand and started grinning broadly. Maybe there was still hope for her somehow…

Peridot got into bed flushing… What had she done now? She had told Lapis she didn’t have any feelings for her, but now she had kissed her on the cheek? The small girl couldn’t understand her own heart and curled up in a ball. A new feeling crept over her… and that was guilt.

The moon rose high over Beach City Delmarva that night, keeping awake those who were pondering too much about their feelings like Peridot and Jasper, and sending to sleep those who couldn’t handle those new sensations, like Pearl and Lapis. If only they had known what to do with that bunch of feelings…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Christmas Special :3


	10. Christmas Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Christmas approaches, the East Delma students realize they have to step up their game if they want to tear the school away from the clutches of the Diamond Industries. But their feelings bloom and begin standing in the way of what's best for everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Insert the Jumanji "what year is it" meme right here - So I promised a Christmas special and it's more than a month late. But it's still this story's Christmas special, so I hope you can enjoy it and forgive me :__)
> 
> \- Small warning - I have seen a lot of religious diversity in Steven Universe fanfictions and fanart. I believe everyone should be free to have their own canons in that sense. I have done that with Peridot in this fic. I have never been offended by someone's canonical view of a character's faith, I hope you aren't either. 
> 
> Anyway, all that's left to say is: I hope you guys like this Christmas special! As it's somewhat longer than other chapters, my girlfriend (https://caspisan.deviantart.com) made three illustrations this time! We're also going to make a fourth (there'll be two versions) and we'll be uploading them on Tumblr and Deviantart so stay tuned : 3. Thanks for being awesome and have a wonderful day !!!

**Chapter Nine**

**Christmas Special**

 

 **P** earl muttered a little in her sleep as she turned around and snuggled against Jasper. Somehow her unconscious noticed that wasn’t completely normal and she opened her eyes. At first, she was completely bewildered but then she realized her left cheek was pressed against Jasper’s firm chest and she backed away, taking the blankets with her in shock. The big girl woke up due to all the commotion and smiled a little.

“Hey Pearl.” She muttered.

“Did you try to cuddle with me or something?” The thin girl mumbled.

“Nah, actually… you did.” Jasper grinned. “Can’t resist these guns.” She kissed her own biceps and Pearl rolled her eyes.

“Must have been fast asleep.” She sighed. “What time is it?”

“Almost six am, and time to wake up, I guess…” Jasper checked her phone. “I’ll stop the alarm clock now…”

“Do you really have to get up at six am?” Pearl groaned. “Why?”

“Public transport.” Jasper laughed. “It’s a wild ride.”

“You have a motorbike…”

“Yeah, gasoline’s kinda expensive though.” The big girl got out of bed and picked her clothes off the chair. “I’m going to take a shower. Feel free to join me.” She winked at Pearl.

“Feel free to disappear down the drain.” Pearl pulled the covers over her head and curled up in a ball.

“Do as you wish, but remember… if we’re both late at the same time, people will think we’ve screwed.” Jasper laughed, going to the bathroom. Pearl mumbled something under the blankets, but then an idea popped up in her head and she jumped out of bed, heading for the bathroom. She knocked on the door.

“Jasper!” She hissed. “We came in my car, remember? We don’t have to wake up yet!”

“I can’t hear you, I’m in the shower!”

Pearl growled and went back to Jasper’s room, curling up in bed again. She slowly fell back to sleep, breathing in the soft sweet smell of the blankets. Somehow, she felt really peaceful there.

On the other hand, Peridot – who had been sleeping in Sapphire’s room that night – felt everything but peaceful. She had hardly shut her eyes and her feelings of guilt were overwhelming her. As it dawned outside, and the light came streaming in, she looked over at her friend, wondering if she was going to wake up any time soon.   
“Sapphy.” She hissed, but the small girl didn’t budge. “Sapphy!” She got up and shook her arm. Sapphire opened her eyes and stretched a little.

“What’s up, Peridot?” She asked, her voice cracking a little. “Have we overslept?”

The small girl sat down on the bed next to her, shaking her head.

“No, it’s still early.” She buried her face in her hands. “Sapphy, why does Lapis like me?”

Sapphire opened her mouth and then shut it, completely taken aback.

“Excuse me, what?” Her eyes widened. “You mean, she really does like you?”

“She’s your sister!” Peridot whimpered. “Tell me why!”

“I can’t tell you why!” Sapphire exclaimed, sitting up straight. “The only thing I know is that Akoya has been teasing her with it… I didn’t think it was… real-real, you know?”

“Hmmm.” Peridot agreed. “But it’s just so frustrating, Saph… She confronted me and I told her I didn’t like her, but last night…”

“Oh God, what have you done!” Sapphire jumped.

“Nothing… I mean…” The small girl sighed. “I kissed her on the cheek.”

Sapphire lay back, looking disappointed.

“Well, that’s hardly something to be worried about.” She mumbled.

“Oh, but it is!” Peridot cried. “What does that make me, Sapphire? I told Lapis I didn’t like her and then I kissed her…”

“Well, I don’t think you can give someone hope by kissing them on a non-romantic way…” Sapphire frowned. “But if they’re in love… maybe they can’t see the difference that clearly?”

“Not helping…”

“Just let it rest for a bit.” Sapphire sighed. “I have never seen Lapis run after someone, I don’t expect her to do it this time.”

 

 

*           *           *

The school day became quite tiring after first period, when Vidalia made them do a mock test for her upcoming exam. After correcting it with the whole class, only a handful had passed.

“Well, what do you expect.” Jinju had muttered, filing her nails.

After that Vidalia had spent grinding them to the ground until break, and the class had escaped quickly. The gang had settled down at their usual spot, taking turns with Sour Cream’s lit joint. Only Jasper and Kiki had avoided it so far.

“Aw, come on!” Amethyst insisted. “It’s been a drag today!”

“That’s why I need to think.” Jasper muttered.

“What good will that do? Most likely, none of us will come back next year!” Amethyst growled.

“Well, we’re trying, aren’t we?” Jasper got up and walked away, fuming. Amethyst was slightly taken aback, but shrugged.

“Oh, Ame…” Jenny mumbled. “You shouldn’t fight.”

“She got cray-cray on me…” Amethyst tried to defend herself, but deep down she knew it had been a stupid thing to say. She felt herself drifting further and further away from Jasper, and that made her really anxious.

Jasper walked over towards the GS, who were sitting at their usual spot: the stone bench near the entrance of the school yard. Jinju was busy explaining to Lapis about the right angles at a photo-shoot, but the blue-haired girl hardly seemed interested. Akoya was laying on the bench, listening to music on her headphones and Pearl was on her phone, scrolling through her Gradient. She looked up as a big figure blocked the winter sun and smiled a little.

“Hey Jasp.” She said.

“Hey Pearl.” Jasper sat down next to her. They had both agreed not to tell the others about spending the night together in the same bed, and so far, Lapis and Peridot hadn’t blabbed either.

“You bored?” Pearl grinned.

“Maybe.” Jasper stared at her Gradient. “Updating your status?”

“Maybe.” Pearl laughed. “No, I was just checking out my old pics… Don’t you think it’s strange how so many things can change in such little time?”

“Do you mean, like… you guys having to go to school here?” Jasper snorted.

“Yes…” Pearl scrolled down to show her. “This was me before the school year started…” Jasper’s eyes widened as she saw a picture of Pearl wearing her tight bun and clutching an expensive handbag. It had been taken at some kind of premiere. “This is me now…” She scrolled up to the pictures taken at that one time they had gone clubbing. Jasper grinned.

“You’re the same person.” She said, softly. “It’s normal to look different depending on the situation.” Her voice went dark. “Stuff happens and you change, I should know. But I can hardly see you wearing Jenny’s clothes at one of your fancy fundraisers…”

Pearl laughed.

“No, no you couldn’t…” She put her phone away and looked at the big girl, eyes shining. “I can’t say I’m displeased with the situation, though. Our other school was amazing, but I don’t remember ever having fun.”

“That’s not what school is for!” Jinju cut through. She was finally done explaining her photo-shoot skills to a very bored Lapis and she had been listening to their conversation. “The only reason you’re happy here is because you can somehow relate to Jasper.”

Pearl’s eyes widened; she had never heard Jinju say anything that remarkable.

“You… might be right…” She muttered.

“Of course I am.” Jinju stood up. “You don’t have to act that surprised, Pearl.” She walked away towards the corner where the gang was still passing the joint.

“Thank God that’s over.” Lapis grumbled, and curled up in a ball. “I really don’t give a fuck about photo-shoots.”

“You and me both, Lap.” Akoya patted her head. “Do you want to go find Sapphy and Peridot?” Lapis nodded and her twin pulled her up. “Let’s go, break’s almost half over already!” And the two of them walked away, leaving Jasper and Pearl alone.

“Well…” Jasper started, but Pearl lay her head on her shoulder and the big girl stiffened, not daring to move a muscle. What was she doing?

“I have a conflict, Jasper…” Pearl whispered. The big girl remained silent, waiting for her to go on. “I want my life to be normal again… moreover, I want to help you guys stay at your school. But part of me wants to stay here forever, on this bench, my head on your shoulder. Can you understand that?”

Jasper sighed.

“Yes, I can…” She muttered. “I want to keep studying here… And I want the gang to have a chance in life… but I don’t know what it’s like to not have you around anymore…” She went red. “All of you, actually. What will Peridot do without Sapphire? They’ve become such good friends! Even Jinju’s hitting it off with some people…”

“I think everybody grows.” Pearl sighed. “And we just happened to grow together…” She looked at the big girl. “We need to decide what’s right for everyone… or at least, for the biggest amount of people. Being selfish isn’t going to make anything happen.”

“I know…” Jasper said darkly. “As much as some of us have benefitted from new friendships, it couldn’t last… at the end of the school year, we’ll have to leave anyway. But if we try to sabotage the Diamond’s plan, we actually have a chance to stay on… even if you’ll have to leave…”

“And we can go back to our old school…” Pearl sighed. “So it’s fine.”

“It’s not the end of the world…” Jasper added. “We can still… you know… meet up.”

“Actually…” Pearl closed her eyes. “My mother would make sure we’d never see each other again.”

They sat together in silence for a while, staring at the clear sky. It had been a really windy morning and there weren’t any clouds.

“What is friendship anyway?” Jasper asked. “Nothing is forever.”

“Then so be it.” Pearl sat up straight. “We can’t let our friendship stand in the way of what is best for everyone.” She gulped. “Let’s go over to Amethyst and co and think of a better plan, we need to get busy!”

She and Jasper stood up and walked towards the tree where the gang sat, accompanied by Jinju.

“Hullo, guests…” Amethyst growled.

“Shut up.” Jasper crossed her arms. “Now listen up, everyone. Kiki: take notes. You have lovely handwriting. We are going to crank this up!”

Everyone except Amethyst crowded around Jasper excitedly. The big girl smiled and put out her hands.

“We decided - not long ago - that we’d do something about the fact that our school got stolen from us!” Everyone nodded. “Well, this time we’re going to do it better!” Jasper looked at Pearl. “Why do you think the Diamonds can touch us?”

“Because they’re rich!” Jenny cried.

“Exactly!” Jasper shouted. She jumped on the wooden bench beside the tree. “So what do we need?”

“Money!” Buck exclaimed.

“Yes!” Jasper said. “So how do we get money?”

“We rob a bank!” Ruby peeped.

“We rob the Diamonds!” Sour Cream added.

“We bake pies!” Kiki cried, and everyone laughed.

“No, don’t laugh.” Jasper pointed at Kiki. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do. Our original plan was to boycott school meals, but that’s too far fetched to ever work… we need to raise money! Everything we have should go into this project! We need to buy the school away from the Diamonds, pay off all the debt… we need to allow East Delma High to stand on her own feet again!”

 

                            

_“Why do you think the Diamonds can touch us?”_

 

Everyone cheered, except Amethyst and Jinju. The first was still resentful towards Jasper and the fact that people always listened to her no matter what. Jinju just seemed confused.

“Do you even know our mothers?” She asked. “Even if you can raise all that money, they’d just double the amount in their offer. Principal Dewey could never say no…”

“If the debt is paid off, principal Dewey won’t be in a position where he _has_ to sell the school anymore.” Jasper said. “They will make offers, of course… but they only took this opportunity because East Delma was in trouble… We can convince Dewey to not give in.”

“Whatever.” Jinju shrugged. “I just wanna go back to my old school, so I guess I’ll help.”

“Then it’s settled.” Jasper said. “Kiki, send your notes to everyone who wasn’t here… Peridot, Sapphire, Lapis, Akoya… Lars and Sadie… maybe not Kevin… Operation Fundraiser, here we go!”

Everyone cheered once more and even Amethyst seemed a little excited now. For the first time everyone had the impression they were actually doing something helpful, and that made them feel really good. Jasper and Pearl stood by, smiling, even though deep down their hearts said something different. Pearl stared at the big girl, wondering what it was going to be like. This time they’d have to pretend for real… this time Pink Diamond had to catch them.

 

*           *           *

As the winter holidays were starting to creep near, everybody was subjected to a different planning. Most of the gang were groaning about having to find presents, and of course, the GS spent the days around Boulevard, either ordering gifts to be sent to people or just buying their own. Jasper was hanging around downtown as well, searching for something very different.

She sighed as she entered the big Boulevard shopping mall and headed for the information counter. A neatly dressed middle aged man looked at her from top to toe and proceeded to speak.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes!” Jasper handed him one of the photocopies she had been carrying around all day. “I’m looking for a job during the Christmas holidays… This is my CV.”

The man raised an eyebrow, skeptically, and put on some reading glasses in order to check the CV out.

“Experience in mechanics? Lifting heavy objects?” He sighed, taking his glasses of. “We have plenty of people working in our warehouse. The only jobs we need now are in retail.”

“I can totally sell stuff!” Jasper exclaimed.

“Not with your looks, you can’t!” The man pointed at her clothes. “Jeans? No!”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that, but you guys have a uniform!” Jasper mumbled. “I can clean up, just give me a chance.” That conversation was going horribly wrong.

“Clean up, huh?” The man stared at her figure. “There might be something for you after all…”

Jasper closed her eyes, knowing she was about to get the kind of job she would never apply for.

But even so, a job was a job and Jasper spent the next few days gritting her teeth and wondering if anyone else was doing so much for the good of the school. With her job at the mall and her work assisting her father at the garage, Jasper hardly got any studying time and she felt her heart sink at the idea of flunking every single exam before Christmas. Still… an exam could be redone… a whole year could be redone! But they only had one single chance to save their school.

 

*           *           *

 

Exams came and went. Only Peridot and Kiki seemed overly stressed about them which was strange, as they were the only ones who had actually worked hard for them. Jasper and Amethyst groaned in unison as they flipped through their papers while the GS just jotted down everything they knew, a bored look on their faces. Vidalia sighed as she corrected one exam after the other and shook her head. Amethyst had barely passed… Jasper’s handwriting was messy and incoherent… Ruby kept confusing concepts…

But could she really fail them? None of them were exceptionally stupid… they were just suffering from anxiety as their only school was about to turn into a place where they would be no longer welcome. Vidalia found herself raising her students’ marks for the first time in her life. They deserved at least one Christmas miracle.

And a miracle it was, for the class could hardly believe their eyes! Everyone had passed their tests, and even if some had barely made it, there would be no necessity to study during the holidays or make any redo exams.

“I can’t believe this!” Jenny threw her papers into the air in celebration.

“Something’s fishy.” Amethyst mumbled. “And it’s not my tuna sandwich.”

“Vidalia must have had mercy on us…” Jasper smiled at the teacher gratefully. “Who would have known that she could be human as well.”

And so the term ended positively for the students of East Delma High, or at least, the exams did.

*           *           *

Jinju followed Akoya closely, never letting the blue-haired girl out of her sight. The holidays had officially started a couple of days ago and the tall girl had noticed that the Winkle twins hadn’t gone shopping with them for her mother’s Christmas party.

“They’re up to something.” She had whispered to Pearl. “You follow Lapis, I’ll take Akoya.”

Pearl had raised an eyebrow and had walked away, but Jinju had been determined to find out what that situation was all about.

Akoya was carrying a gym bag and Jinju thought it was weird. She had followed her all the way to Boulevard just to see her get into the mall itself and disappear up the escalators. The sandy haired girl sneaked up after her and looked around, wondering which way she had gone…

The upper floor of the mall was used for other things than display. There was actually a movie theatre up there and a few – usually empty – conference rooms. Jinju heard music coming from one of them, though, and she walked towards the door, peeking around the corner. Her eyes widened.

It was a Bollywood dance-lesson, or so it seemed. The teacher was at the front, moving graciously in a dark-red sari. Everyone else was wearing colors as well and Jinju smiled at the sight of Akoya, dancing beautifully in the second row. She had never seen the blue-haired girl being so into something, and it was lovely to watch.

“I never knew she did that…” Jinju whispered, and kept observing the class progress. Watching it felt like a show put on specially for her, even though she wasn’t allowed to be there. But Akoya’s dancing was magical and going away seemed out of the question.

As Jinju remained rooted in her spot, not far from her Lapis was creeping around the mall as well, hunting for for someone. Just like her twin sister, she hadn’t gone shopping for Christmas party outfits either, for she had more present matters at hand. Ever since Peridot had given her that kiss on the cheek, she hadn’t been able to let it go, even though it brought her nothing but despair. Everything about Peridot was magnetic, so enchanting she couldn’t think of anything else: the small girl had become her sole obsession. And she tried staying away, she tried every day; it was just to hard to let it go so sudden.

Meanwhile, Peridot and Sapphire were staring at a huge shopping window laden with delicious treats. They had gone to Boulevard as well and had been standing in front of the bakery for what seemed like an eternity.

“This looks so good.” Sapphire muttered.

“I have to get some.” Peridot huffed. “But it’s so expensive… You’d think you were buying a wedding cake here…”

“So why are you buying them here?” Sapphire murmured.

“My mom said they have the best donuts in Delmarva.” Peridot said, sternly. “She makes me get them every year for Hanukkah… It’s the only thing she doesn’t actually make herself during those days.”

“I’m jealous.” Sapphire sighed. “Don’t know much about Hanukkah but it sure sounds better than the Christmas Eve party Jinju’s mother is throwing… Nobody really wants to go, but we have to assist every year.”

“Too bad you can’t get out of it.” Peridot grimaced. “You could have come to our place.”

“I wish!” Sapphire groaned. “But… go on and get those donuts.”

“Too bad Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah overlap this year.” Peridot said, walking into the bakery. “I would have loved to see Jinju stressing her life out at her mother’s Christmas party…”

Sapphire laughed and followed Peridot inside, but something suspicious caught her eye and she stepped out again.

“Lapis?” She hissed, staring at her sister. The blue-haired girl appeared from behind a pillar, with a sigh.

“What?” She hissed. “I’m supposed to be incognito.”

“You flipping stalker!” Sapphire exclaimed. “Are you following Peridot?”

“Look…” Lapis groaned. “I was out buying last minute gifts, okay? I saw you two here and I had to hide.”

“But why?” Sapphire cried. “Is it that awkward?”

“Well… you thought I was stalking her… So I’m assuming she’d think that too…” Lapis looked away. “I’m not. I’m trying to be sensible.”

“Look… I don’t know what your intentions are, Lapis.” Sapphire huffed. “But if they’re anything but noble, I swear I will…”

“No need.” Lapis sighed. “I really like her but there isn’t a Christmas miracle strong enough to grant me a wish like that. Just let me buy my gifts and go back to her.” The blue-haired girl turned away, disappearing in the crowd.

Lapis had been confronted with a new reality, which made it hard to have conversations like that. She had been so excited about Peridot giving her a kiss on the cheek that she hadn’t been able to think clearly. Days afterwards she had realized that it had most probably been a pity move from the small girl and she felt sad and somewhat embarrassed. Lapis wasn’t the hunter, and she knew that.

Just as she was lost in her thoughts, Peridot came back out, a package of donuts in her hands. She almost dropped them when she saw the blue-haired girl. She had not expected to see her there, just now, when her feelings were starting to get really complicated. Telling her she didn’t love her had triggered a series of “what if” questions that made her wonder if she had even know what she was saying the other day.

“Lapis?” She whispered.

“I…” The tall girl looked around, nervously.

“Oh Peridot!” Sapphire drawled in an over-enthusiastic voice. “Lapis was here buying some Christmas presents! Isn’t this a coincidence?”

Lapis closed her eyes, grateful at her sister’s save just as Peridot nodded quickly and cleared her throat. She seemed really flustered.

“I should go home.” She said. “Mother needs me with the preparations. I’ll see you guys around…” And she walked away quickly, heading towards the doors, closely guarded by a bountiful lady dressed in a revealing Santa dress. “I’ll see you after the holidays! Or during! I don’t know… call me!” And she was gone. Lapis and Sapphire could just make out her silhouette going down the subway stairs outside.

“Did I make her uncomfortable?” Lapis muttered.

“She thinks she gave you false hope that day she stayed over.” Sapphire sighed, knowing it was best if Lapis knew the truth. “She’s really worried about it…”

“I know it didn’t mean anything.” Lapis sighed. “So she needn’t worry about that.” Her face hardened. “Who am I to care anyway? I’m Lapis Lazuli Winkle, I can have anyone I want.” She started to walk away as well, heading towards the doors. “See you at Jinju’s poser party!”

“You couldn’t have Peridot…” Sapphire whispered, staring after her. But she got a hold of herself and followed her sister to the parking lot; she was ready to go home now.

As they walked towards Lapis’ car, they came across a familiar face. It was Amethyst, who seemed to be heading towards the mall. Lapis nodded with her head and Sapphire beamed at her.

“’Sup.” Amethyst mumbled casually and made way towards the Boulevard Mall, going through the doors without stopping to talk. She wasn’t really in the mood. She didn’t want to buy Christmas gifts, she didn’t want to go to her uncle’s Christmas party and she didn’t want to start those awful mediocre school holidays feeling like that. She stared around, sourly, and was about to walk buy the sexy lady offering samples at the doorway when her heart skipped a beat.

“JASPER?”

Jasper sighed deeply, turning towards Amethyst, a look of shame on her face. She was wearing a bright red Santa dress with a white collar that couldn’t hide any cleavage on Earth and a shiny black belt around her middle, forcing her into an hourglass figure. She was also wearing long black stockings and somehow… high heels? Amethyst gaped for a minute or two, utterly amazed.

“You can stop staring now.” The big girl said through gritted teeth. “This is embarrassing enough as it is, leave me alone.”

“WOAH!” Amethyst let it go. “THIS IS JUST… HOOOOLY CRAP, JASPER!” She doubled up, laughing. “Amazing.”

“I swear, if I wouldn’t need the money, I’d snap your neck right now.” Jasper growled, crushing a perfume sample with her fist.

“Hold your corset… I mean… horses.” Amethyst snorted. “It’s fine, it’s just such a surprise! How long have you been doing this?”

“For quite a while, now shut up.” Jasper muttered. “I mean it.”

Amethyst sniggered and sat down on the marble wall by the entrance.

“Well, you have given me an excuse to linger.” She smiled. “Christmas presents… I wasn’t feeling it.”

“Do you have to go to your mean uncle again?” Jasper asked, rearranging the samples on her tray.

 

                             

 

_“Amazing.”_

“Yeah…” Amethyst sighed. “I don’t feel like it.”

“Well… don’t go.” Jasper sat down beside her.

“And tell my mother what?” Amethyst hugged her knees. “She’ll kill me.”

“Tell her you got snowed in.” Jasper suggested.

“Really?” Amethyst mumbled. “Even you can do better than that.”

“Sorry, yes I can.” Jasper smiled and the short girl couldn’t help laughing. It felt kinda good… talking to Jasper? Maybe the situation was just stressful for everyone and it seemed they were growing apart because of that… Amethyst didn’t know, but she was glad she had run into her.

 

*           *           *

Pearl was adjusting her dress for the party when her phone rang. She put it on speaker as she somehow tried to rearrange her cleavage.

“Jinju?”

“Pearl!” Jinju exclaimed. “Are you coming to my mother’s party?”

“Yes, of course…” Pearl frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, I just came home from the mall… and Akoya was there, so she’s probably not coming… And Lapis’ isn’t answering her phone either…” Jinju sighed. “What’s with them today?”

“I don’t know, Jinju.” Pearl mumbled. “But I’ll be there in a few. And Sapphire’s coming too…”

She hung up and moved towards the window, sighing. She didn’t want to go to Jinju’s party either, but her mother wouldn’t have it any other way. Pink was getting ready in her own room and there wasn’t a chance to escape. Pearl wondered what the rest of the class was up to… She knew Peridot was celebrating the first night of Hanukkah with her family, but she didn’t really know much about the rest. Did Jasper even celebrate anything?

Just as she started picturing the big girl in a Christmas sweater, snowdrops started falling from the sky and she jumped.

“Wow!” She gasped. “It’s actually snowing!”

“Pearl!” Her mother yelled from the other room. “Let’s go, it’s getting late!”

Pearl tore her eyes away from the window and smiled. Snow! On Christmas Eve! What a sight…

Jinju, however, was not pleased with the snow, especially after the evening news let out a forecast warning people not to go outside for a drive. She checked her phone and made a spluttering sound. Akoya was probably still at the damn mall and probably hadn’t even taken her car. What if the idiot tried to get back with a cab and the cab slipped on the road? What if she considered taking the bus and the bus slipped? Jinju felt sick imagining all kinds of scenarios; she knew she needed to take action herself. With a regretful sigh, she put on her coat and headed outside in what had become a steady blizzard. She could just make out Pearl’s figure walking up the driveway alongside Pink.

“I’m going to get Ako!” She cried through the snow. “I’ll be back in a few!”

“Jinju, don’t be crazy!” Pearl cried back, as Pink headed into the house in order to be welcomed by Yellow, who didn’t seem to notice her daughter had slipped past her. “You can’t drive in this weather!”

“Try me!” Jinju walked towards her car and got in. As she drove away, the tracks got covered almost immediately.

 

*           *           *

Akoya sighed as she walked out of the showers, having dried her hair thoroughly. It had been a good Bollywood lesson and she was proud of herself that day. Now she had to decide if she wanted to show up at Jinju’s party or not.

She took her phone out of her bag and groaned at the dozens of messages popping up at once. Most of them were from Jinju, asking where she was. But it were the last few that shocked her.

 

ARE YOU EVEN GOING TO GET PAST THE SNOW?

 

DID U BRING UR CAR

 

AKOYA FOR GODS SAKE

 

THATS IT IM PICKING U UP

 

Akoya looked around… snow? What was Jinju talking about? She rushed to the main entrance of the building, which looked deserted now as it was almost closing time, and stared in horror at the street outside. It was snowing! It really was snowing!

Panic engulfed her… how would she get home? Jinju wouldn’t really come, would she? Who could drive through that blizzard? But just as she was imagining all kind of knight in armor scenarios, a voice called her over.

“Yo, blue-hair!”

Akoya turned around to see Amethyst sitting near the entrance with… Jasper? Was that really Jasper?

“Yes, it’s me, Jasper.” The big girl growled and Akoya couldn’t help but smile.

“Wow.” She said. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but I do believe I need to post this.”

“Don’t you dare!” Jasper hissed.

“I’m not Jinju, I guess.” Akoya sat down next to them. “What’s going on? Can we even get home?”

“Well, the subway closed its gates and it’s too dangerous to drive so we’re just sitting here.” Jasper laughed. “I mean, they’re clearing the streets around Boulevard, but that’s about it… the rest of the roads are too steep and slippery to be cleaned right now, or that’s what they said on the news.”

“So the staff at the mall is setting up some stuff for peeps who can’t get home.” Amethyst pointed at the restaurant, which seemed to be making hot drinks for a lot of people. “A bunch of us got redirected to the hotel across the street but all staff members are staying here, and so am I!”

“Wow… this is surreal.” Akoya laughed. “And I don’t even have to go to Jinju’s Christmas party!”

She had not yet finished speaking those words when Jinju herself walked in, completely covered in snow. She stared at the group for a few seconds and then sighed deeply.

“Hey Amethyst. Jasper, nice outfit. Ako, come with me, I’m here to drive you home.”

Akoya’s face had gone stone cold. Jinju was there, she was actually there! She suddenly realized that the girl had driven through the blizzard in order to get there, just because she had panicked she wouldn’t show up at her mother’s party. That thought made her furious.

“First of all.” Akoya stood up and walked towards Jinju, looking very angry indeed. Jasper and Amethyst looked at each other, raising an eyebrow. “HOW COULD YOU DRIVE ALL THIS WAY THROUGH THE BLIZZARD, ARE YOU CRAZY? JUST TO GET ME TO GO TO YOUR FLIPPING CHRISTMAS PARTY? WHAT, ARE YOU NUTS? DID YOUR MOTHER DROP YOU WHEN YOU WERE BORN OR SOMETHING?”

Jinju took a step back, utterly surprised.

“AND YOU JUST WALTZ IN HERE LIKE NOTHING EVER HAPPENED AND YOU JUST EXPECT ME TO ACT AS IF THIS IS NORMAL? HUH?” Akoya kept shouting, raising stares from the people nearby. “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”

“I…” Jinju didn’t know how to react. She felt frozen, unable to move a limb. “I…”

“STOP BEING SUCH AN IDIOT FOR ONCE AND JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!” Akoya ran towards the bathrooms and locked herself in a cubicle, ready to sob her eyes out. Why she felt that way, she didn’t know.

Jinju stared after her, a perplexed look on her face. Jasper and Amethyst were gazing at her, fixatedly.

“Wow.” Amethyst hissed.

“Why…? What did I do…?” Jinju mumbled.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Jasper grinned.

“Not really, no?” Jinju growled.

“You just drove miles through a blizzard to pick her up! She was worried.” Jasper sniggered. “We were just telling her it was too dangerous to drive and then you go and come in…”

“Oh…” Jinju sat down on the floor. “I guess… I’d better go talk to her?”

“Yeah, do it, girl!” Amethyst piped up. “We’ll be rooting for you!”

“Whatever.” Jinju could never tell if Amethyst was being sarcastic or not. But she hated their guts, so she probably was. The sandy-haired girl walked towards the bathroom and came to a halt before the stall where Akoya had locker herself in to.

“Ako?” She said, softly. No answer. “Ako?” She tried again. “Look, I’m sorry… I did something really stupid, and apparently I’m too stupid to even realize it? I don’t know… Can you come out, please?”

Akoya opened the door, eyes still red.

“Why are you crying?” Jinju muttered.

“Because I don’t want you to die.” Akoya whimpered.

“Wow.” Jinju smiled. “That’s like the nicest thing you’ve said in a while… I was beginning to think you were all into hating me again.”

“I don’t think I could.” Akoya sighed.

“Well… I guess we’re snowed in… so why don’t you come out of the bathroom? We don’t want to be locked in here too…” Jinju held out her hand and Akoya took it.

“Fine.” She mumbled. “Let’s wait with Jasper and Amethyst. If a mutiny arises, we’ll want them on our side.”

Jinju laughed.

“I hate to say it, but you’re right.” She pulled the blue haired girl out of the stall and they walked towards the entrance hall together.

Jasper and Amethyst were still sitting on the wall at the entrance, staring at the snow outside. Jinju and Akoya sat down on the stairs nearby and they waited in silence for the blizzard to pass. Jasper felt her phone buzz and she took it out to find a message from Pearl on her small screen:

 

_Hey, Japs_

The big girl smiled and typed a “hey” back. She wished she had an actual smartphone so she could send instant messages like the rest did.

 

_How are you doing?_

“Fine.” Jasper typed back. “Just trapped in the mall where I work part time now due to the storm.”

“Oh my God.” Pearl wrote. “Not Boulevard?”

“Yes.” Jasper sighed. “Jinju and Akoya are here too in case you were wondering.”

“Jinju arrived safely? I thought she died or something.” Pearl typed back and Jasper face palmed. “Is she okay?”

“She is.” The big girl grinned, typing frantically. “How’s the Christmas party?”

“Not much of a party. Just me, Saph, Lapis and a bunch of friends and colleagues of our mums.” Pearl sent back. “I’m so bored I could drown myself in the punch.”

“Can you not?” Jasper frowned. “But yeah, same. We’re going to have to spend the night here.”

“Wow, I wish I were there.” Pearl seemed mournful. “That sounds so much better than this party here. It’s kinda surreal that this snow caused so much trouble…”

“Yup.” Jasper wrote. “It wasn’t even in the weather report this week. I should know, my father always checks it.”

“Global Warming.” Pearl typed back. “It’s here.”

The big girl sighed deeply but couldn’t help smiling. Talking to Pearl made the evening seem much less dreadful.

“Shit, Jasper… Get a room.” Amethyst muttered, hanging over her shoulder.

“I would, but it’s snowing.” Jasper grinned.

“Oh God, you’re not even denying it now!” Amethyst sneered.

“Stop judging me, she’s hot.” Jasper turned away.

“Are you talking about me?” Jinju called over.

“You have a sense of humor!” Jasper cried back. “You’re not my type!”

“Yeah, Jinju. You and Pearl are quite different and I’m positive she was talking about Pearl.” Akoya muttered.

“How are we so different? We’re both rich, smart and beautiful.” Jinju flipped her hair, sending snow flying everywhere. “Ew, stupid blizzard.”

“Yeah but Pearl’s a Sunset Shimmer and you’re a Heather Chandler.” Amethyst said, casually. “That makes quite the difference.” Everyone stared at her blankly. “Oh, what? Did you not watch My Little Pony and Heathers?”

“Not really, no?” Jasper burst out laughing. “My Little… Amethyst, what the fuck?”

The short girl turned a little red.

“Look, the soundtrack’s great, alright? And so is Heathers. You can leave me alone now…”

“I’m not going to judge you.” Akoya piped up. “Lapis really likes musicals too…”

“ANYWAY.” Jinju cut through. “So you like Pearl, huh?”

“I don’t really get into conversations like that without alcohol.” Jasper held up her hands. “Sorry.”

“Well, that can be arranged.” Jinju stood up and walked towards the restaurant. Two minutes later she came back with a bottle of gin and some Fanta. Jasper and Amethyst jumped up, amazed.

“What the…?”

“My mother owns this mall.” Jinju grinned, pulling some paper cups from her bag. “Now, let’s play this little game, shall we?”

“Oh Jinju… I don’t really want to get into this…” Akoya sighed.

“Nono, this is fun.” Jinju gave everyone a cup. “How about a small game of never have I ever?”

“Why is it always that?” Akoya sighed. “So original…”

“Fine, I’ll start!” Amethyst said, loudly. “Never have I ever slept with someone from our class.”

No one drank, looking confused.

“You mean sex? Or sleepover?” Jinju asked.

“What do you think, Massimo Naivety?” Amethyst growled.

“Oh, I’ll ask the next one!” Jinju mumbled. “Never have I ever slapped someone in this class…”

“Do you mean slapped? Or spanked?” Amethyst sniggered.

“Anything you like.” Jinju hissed, and everyone drank.

“Who did you spank?” Jasper asked Amethyst, who laughed.

“Nah, I just punched you… that counts, right?”

“I’ll do the next one!” Akoya smiled. “Never have I ever had sex… with a guy.”

Everyone looked up.

“Is that a trick question?” Jinju laughed. “Are you trying to make us… not drink?”

She and Jasper went into fits of laughter as Akoya and Amethyst stared at them.

“I’m sorry, I can’t drink.” Jasper wiped a tear from her eyes. “I don’t sleep with guys. I crush them.”

“Oh my God!” Jinju snorted. “But yeah, same…”

Akoya was surprised the girl was being so open about her sexuality, but then again, the influence of alcohol often made her honest and she didn’t need much to spill out her secrets.

“Still…” Amethyst looked at Jinju. “You… look like you’ve had many, you know what I mean?”

“Savage!” Jasper exclaimed.

“No, she’s right. You’re right.” Jinju grinned sadly. “I act like I screw around and I like the appearance. It makes me feel empowered. But no, I haven’t actually slept with anyone, ya’ll just think I have. And that’s the real power…”

“You’re not making sense.” Akoya whispered.

“I know.” Jinju moved her face inches from hers. “Because nothing makes sense in the world, Akoya Blue. Because I was born into this family, I have to be proper. Because I was born into this family, I have to straight. Because I was born into this family… I can’t be with you.”

Everyone stared at the sudden scene. A “wow” escaped Amethyst’s mouth before she could stop herself. Jinju laughed bitterly and stood up.

“Jasper… I know you like Pearl. So be careful not to fall in love with her. Because when you do, there’s no going back, there’s only pain. There’s not a chance in the world she can be with you, because our mothers don’t allow such things. This is our curse, so yeah… This game you’re playing, I’ve played it. And it cursed me.” She pushed the doors open and stood outside in the blizzard, opening her arms to the cold wind and snow, tears streaming down her face. She closed her eyes, knowing she had let herself go this time. There was no going back now…

“Who would have thought she’d be deep and all?” Amethyst muttered.

“Oh, Jinju…” Akoya ran outside and hugged her friend tightly, protecting her from the blizzard. “Please come inside.”

“No.” Jinju sighed. “I’m sick and tired, just let me freeze.”

“Stop being like this.” Akoya stared into her eyes. “You know… I’ll be fine. You shouldn’t… worry about me.”

“I worry about myself now…” Jinju whispered. “I’m the idiot who can’t let go, not you.”

“Let’s not do this here. It’s so cold.” Akoya was shivering. “Come inside.”

“Fine.” Jinju took her hand and they went back to the warmth. Jasper and Amethyst stared at them, slightly anxious.

“I’m sorry…” Jinju muttered, and sneezed loudly.

“Damn it… you both need warm clothes and stuff.” Jasper looked around, wondering if any of the stores were providing such things.

“I can…” Jinju sneezed again. “… get some clothes. I’m sure.”

“You should shower in the dance studio above.” Akoya pulled Jinju with her. “Come on, before you catch your death.”

 

                       

 

_“I’m the idiot who can’t let go, not you.”_

 

The two girls disappeared upstairs and Amethyst chugged her cup.

“More for us.” She muttered.

But Jasper was staring at Jinju’s handbag, which was resting on the wall by the entrance. Without hesitating, she rummaged inside and her heart leaped when she found her phone.

“Hey Amethyst… what’s that thing you do where you crack someone’s password?” She asked. The girl raised an eyebrow.

“If you’re selling it, I want 40%...” She muttered.

“No, you idiot, I just want to make a call.” Jasper growled.

“Shit, Jasper.” Amethyst took the phone and in less than a minute, she had unlocked it.

“How do you even?” Jasper stared at it.

“It was simple.” Amethyst grinned. “The password is _Akoya_.”

“You’re shitting me…”

“No, really.”

Jasper grinned and searched in the contacts, easily finding Pearl’s.

“I’ll be back.” She told Amethyst, and went upstairs as well, perching herself behind a column. No one could see her there…

 

                                               *        *        *

 

Pearl raised an eyebrow when her phone started buzzing and Jinju’s icon came upon her screen, requesting a video chat. The tall girl groaned. She was feeling dizzy from the punch… She sighed and accepted reluctantly, only to see Jasper at the other side.

“What the flip?” She almost dropped her phone in surprise and ran out of the hall into one of the parlors which were deserted at that time of day.

“Sorry.” Jasper grinned. “I borrowed Jinju’s phone…”

“Oh my God…” Pearl snorted. “What are you wearing?”

“Do you like it? I kind of give out perfume samples in a slutty Santa outfit at Boulevard these days.” Jasper grinned.

“Oh so you’re one of those now…” Pearl smiled. “You look fantastic. Absolutely gorgeous. Pearlfect.”

“Oh, why, thank you!” Jasper laughed. “So do you.”

Pearl sighed deeply.

“Who are we kidding, Jasper. We do flirt.”

“Maybe just a little.” The big girl squeezed her arms tighter, lifting her breast up. Pearl went a little red.

“You’re doing that on purpose, stop it.” She let out an unusual giggle.

“Oh, I’m sorry… what am I doing?” Jasper pressed her arms even tighter and Pearl had to look away.

“Jesus Christ, Jasper!”

“Yeah, sorry… I have no idea what I’m doing. This is probably not how you seduce people.” Jasper sighed and stared at Pearl. “I didn’t call you because of that… I just… wanted to see you, I guess.”

“You’re not making it any better by saying that stuff.” Pearl groaned. “Oh Jasper, don’t make my life difficult, I’ve had too much punch.”

“Well, I’ve had too much gin.” Jasper winked at her.

“Stop!” Pearl exclaimed. “Don’t be so… seductive.”

“You think I’m… seductive?” Jasper looked so surprised Pearl had to laugh. She was kind of cute when she did that…

“More than you know, I guess…” Pearl sighed. “To be honest, I wouldn’t mind… you know…”

Jasper felt her heart race. Could she mean…?

“Eah… Um… What?” The big girl stuttered.

“You know… what we did that one time just for pretend, when we wanted the maids to think we were…”

Jasper felt a lump in her throat. She was having difficulty breathing right now.

“I wouldn’t mind… not pretending.” Pearl smiled enigmatically.

“Who’s seducing who, huh?” Jasper tried to control her shaking hands. In fact, her whole body felt like it was shaking. It was almost unbearable.

Pearl raised a hand towards her hair and with one movement pulled her bun lose, letting her red locks fall across her face.

“I’d drop more than one thing for you, Jasper.” She whispered.

Jasper hung up instantly and tried to control her breathing. What was going on? Why was she reacting like that? It wasn’t like she had never thought of that before… She knew she liked Pearl, she had learned to live with that crisis… but now this?

She reached for her own phone and sent a quick text:

 

_Sorry, Jinju’s battery died._

Jasper sighed deeply and waited for an answer. It came after a few seconds:

 

_Wanna talk here?_

 

Jasper smiled; she did want to keep talking to Pearl, even if the situation may have got a little out of hand. It was a comforting thing to do.

And talk they did, most of the night. Even when the mall arranged sleeping bags and mats for everyone there, and most of the stranded people settled down to rest, Jasper kept on talking to Pearl. Amethyst, who was laying in her own sleeping bag, frowned.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Nobody.” Jasper whispered. “Just playing snake.”

“Your phone’s too old.” Amethyst groaned, and pulled the sleeping bag over her head. After just a few minutes, soft snores could be heard coming from underneath.

Jasper sniggered and hid under her covers as well. What a night!

 

 

*        *        *

 

Lapis stared out of the window of the cafeteria where she had been stranded since a few hours ago. The owners had recognized her and had done their utmost to keep her comfortable, alongside a few others that had suffered the same misfortune, but the blue haired girl didn’t feel like staying there. She had tried phoning Akoya and Sapphire, but only the latest had picked up.

“Aren’t there any hotels in the area? I thought you were near Boulevard.” Sapphire had said.

“I don’t want to go to a hotel. I just want to go home.” Lapis grumbled.

“Well, it’s your own stupid fault.” Sapphire exclaimed.

And she was right: Lapis had driven Sapphire home for the party and then she had gone right back to Boulevard to get a present that had popped into mind. But before she could reach it, she had found a road block and she had to leave her car at a parking spot. Everyone nearby had been ushered into cafes.

Lapis checked her watch: it was almost two in the morning. The blizzard seemed to have lessened, but the roads were completely out of use. She craned her neck, trying to stare down the street through the cafeteria window. There was hardly any sign of life there.

It was then when her phone started buzzing again, and she picked up, absent minded.

“Hey.” She muttered.

“Lapis?”

The blue haired girl jumped up, recognizing Peridot’s voice.

“Yeah?” She muttered, wondering what that was all about.

“I heard you were stranded in a cafeteria near the city exit tunnels? Sapphire told me…” Peridot said, softly. “Would you like to stay at my place tonight? I live nearby… I mean, you know… if you want to.”

Lapis jumped up and ran outside.

“Where do you live???”

Ten minutes later she was standing at the doorstep of an old apartment building with big oak doors and gold colored handles. Peridot was waiting in the hall, wearing a bathrobe over her clothes. Lapis stumbled inside and looked around in the vestibule. It was a really old building and it even had one of those old lifts with those weird wooden doors.

“Are you cold?” Peridot asked, quietly, as they walked towards the handsome stairway. “We live on the first.” She explained.

“I’m a little cold…” Lapis confessed. “I’m just glad I wasn’t wearing anything festive…”

Peridot snorted as she turned the key in the door and led the blue haired girl inside.

“Sorry it’s a little messy…” She whispered. “My family just left and my parents went to bed.”

“It’s okay… seems like you had quite a party here…” Lapis looked around at the decorations on the door and the walls. From the hall she could see the living room: the light was still on and the table was full of plates and cups.

“Well, you know Hanukkah…” Peridot grinned. “Actually, you don’t. Sorry.” She ran a hand through her hair, nervously.

“No, I don’t.” Lapis chuckled and hung her coat on the wall, snow falling down as she did. “Damn, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Peridot opened one of the doors in the long corridor and beckoned her through. It led to another corridor with a couple of other doors. She went through the first and Lapis followed. It was a small room, but it looked quite comfortable. Pale green walls made for a nice combination with the white furniture and drapes. The carpet was of a darker green. The entire room was extraordinarily tidy, something that Lapis hadn’t expected. Only the desk seemed a little out of order, with a large stack of papers strewn across it. They were drawings… She was about to take a look when Peridot herself shot through the room like a bullet and covered all of the papers with her body, quickly scooping them up and dumping them into the drawer. She was red in the face.

“What’s wrong?” Lapis asked.

“Sorry.” Peridot muttered. “I don’t let people see my drawings…”

“Oh so that’s what they were… your drawings.” Lapis grinned.

“Yeah. The bathroom’s down the hall and… um… I’ll set out the stretcher while you get ready. I’ve also left some PJ’s in the bathroom, but I’m not sure if they’ll fit…” Peridot pulled off her bathrobe and hung it over her chair. “Just see if they do.”

Lapis was speechless, for she had never seen Peridot wear such a pretty outfit before. She was wearing a turquoise dress with a lovely neckline that enhanced her beauty on levels the blue haired girl had never noticed before. She was so beautiful! Lapis felt her cheeks burn and she turned away quickly, heading towards the bathroom. She shut the door behind her and let out a mournful sigh. Why oh why was this happening to her? She was the daughter of a Diamond! She belonged to the elite of the elite! Why did she have to crush on someone so far away and so uninterested?

“I could have had anyone…” Lapis muttered to herself, pulling on the PJ’s that Peridot had left for her. “Why did I fall for her?”

She walked back towards the girl’s room, opening the door quietly. Peridot was sitting on the chair beside the window sail, staring outside. She was still wearing her dress and Lapis smiled, just standing there.

“Does it fit?” Peridot asked softly.

“Pants are a little short. Shirt fits fine.” Lapis smiled. “When you’re flat-chested, you can fit quite a few shirts…”

Peridot laughed and turned around, looking at her.

“It looks fine.” She smiled. “I set out the stretcher…”

“Thanks.” Lapis sat down on her make-shift bed and sighed. “Peridot… I… how did you know I was in trouble?”

“Sapphire phoned me.” Peridot stood up, rearranging some things on the window sail.

Lapis’ hard skipped a beat. Sapphire! She knew her little sister didn’t approve of her feelings, but even so, she had warned Peridot.

“So it was her…” She whispered.

Peridot smiled.

“My parents said it was fine.” She said, softly.

“Thank you.” Lapis stood up and walked towards the small girl, running her fingers through a lock of her hair. Peridot trembled at her touch.

“Lapis.” She whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why?”

“I told you I didn’t like you and then I lead you on and I’m so sorry, I feel so bad.” She bit her lip.

“It’s okay.” Lapis said. “I’m a big girl, I can deal with rejection.”

Could she, though? The blue haired girl daren’t meet Peridot’s eyes. Instead, she stared at a small candelabrum on the window sail.

“That’s my own little Menorah.” Peridot explained.

“Shouldn’t it be lit?” Lapis asked.

“It doesn’t stay on for very long after you light it… and sundown was quite a few hours ago.” Peridot chuckled. “It’ll be lit again tomorrow, no worries.”

“Can I light it?” Lapis asked.

“Dude, no… that’s not really how it works…” Peridot smiled. “We already lit it today…”

“Is it like a curse if you light it now?” Lapis asked, curiously.

“Not that I know of…” Peridot mumbled. “I could ask at the Temple…”

“Or you could just let me light it.” Lapis looked hopeful.

“Oh sure, why not…” Peridot felt she couldn’t deny her something like that. “But I’m just gonna give you a match, nothing fancy.” And she handed a small box to the girl. Lapis grinned and lit one of the candles, bouncing up and down in delight. Peridot rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help smiling.

“It’s nice.” Lapis grinned. She turned to Peridot. “Should I blow it out?”

“Just let it burn…” Peridot sat down on the bench and Lapis came beside her. For a while they sat in silence, just staring at the flickering light. Slowly but steadily, Peridot’s hand enclosed upon Lapis’ and the blue haired girl almost jumped out of her skin, but Peridot wouldn’t let go.

“I’m so sorry, Lapis.” She whispered.

“Why now?”

“I lied to you.” Peridot took her glasses off and placed them on the windowsail, beside the Menhora. “I said I didn’t love you…”

“Peridot!” Lapis exclaimed.

“I can’t be with you, of course… but I owe you this much.” Peridot squeezed her hand tightly. “I owe you this much…”

Lapis drew her close and rested her face in her neck.

“I love you too.” She whispered.

“I’m so sorry we can’t make this happen.” Peridot muttered, embracing her. “Don’t ask me how this started, I don’t really know either.”

“It’s okay.” Lapis caressed Peridot’s neck with her lips softly. “It’s a dangerous game to play. Whatever happens to East Delma High… there’s no way you and me could ever be together…”

“Exactly.” Peridot rubbed her cheek against Lapis’. “We’re from different worlds.”

“And yet.” Lapis moved her hands to Peridot’s shoulderblades and lowered the zipper of her dress.

“And yet.” Peridot slid into a more comfortable position, allowing Lapis to bend over her and kiss her neck.

“What are we doing?” Lapis mumbled, running her hand over the small girl’s body.

“No idea, but it’s fine…” Peridot smiled at the blue haired girl. “I didn’t know how to act around you, Lapis. I thought pushing you away would help, but it didn’t. Truth is, I fell for you from the moment you sat next to me in the Assembly Hall.”

“If I recall, I asked if you were going to keep gawking at me…” Lapis chuckled.

“I never stopped.” Peridot grinned.

“I think I fell for you when Amethyst knocked that ball in your face and you had that nosebleed…” Lapis stroked her pale locks. “You’re so beautiful.”

Peridot smiled at the girl in front of her. That wasn’t the Lapis who walked around as if the world had stopped being meaningful. That was a special Lapis, and a very intimate one. Someone who could love and and make her heart burst. And yet, she had fallen for every single one of her personality traits, even if most of them belonged to a rich and spoilt child. As Lapis bent down, she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the girl’s lips on her own. For a while, they just kissed, living in each other’s embrace and letting the candle flicker beside them. Then, slowly, Lapis moved down and Peridot grabbed onto the pillows on the bench, trying not to make any sounds. It amused Lapis to see her efforts, but she knew she would have done the same. The blue haired girl moved even further and Peridot let out a small gasp. The candle finally stopped burning, and the dim light left them in darkness, consumed in their passion. And as they lay in bed afterwards, Lapis’ arms holding Peridot tightly, they both knew there was no going back. They had let it happen and now they would have to deal with the consequences.

“I’m scared, Lapis.” Peridot confessed. The blue haired girl squeezed her shoulders.

“I know.” She whispered. “But we will find a way. I’m not going to give up, I know that now. I can’t give up. This is… how I’m supposed to feel. This is what’s right. My mother can’t stop us…” She kissed Peridot’s hair.

She hoped she could hold to that promise, but at least the small girl was breathing peacefully again. Lapis held her close and smiled. For the first time in her life, she knew she had to do something. She had to take a stand. She had to break free… free from her golden cage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: TBA


	11. Cold Latkes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis faces the facts of what she has done but ends up being surprised at the outcome. Jasper and Pearl decide to break some boundaries and face Pink's wrath. Meanwhile, Yellow has an evil plan ahead that doesn't benefit Jinju at all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been so long, I didn't even know! I've just been so busy with school. I give you a "morning after" chapter - you'll see why in a minute. Everyone comes to terms with their feelings, or at least they try... but this isn't the end, oh no. This is just the start. There's still a lot to come. I'm so grateful you're still here reading this fic even if I upload from ice age to ice age. I hope you like the new chapter and that you can keep enjoying the fic admits the tardiness of its writing ^^. Keep being awesome and have a wonderful day!!!
> 
> Also, I made a darling little gif of Amethyst lowriding. It's my new icon. I want to post a new gif with each update :D
> 
> Drawings in the fic by the lovely Sanne. Deviantart: https://caspisan.deviantart.com

** Chapter Ten **

** Cold Latkes **

 

 **H** er office was quiet, a little stuffy around that time of day. The curtains had been drawn and the blinds half shut, but the sun still managed to pierce through in the form of a dim pink light. It wasn’t altogether unpleasant in winter, though.

Form after form after form. Signing forms was exhausting yet without her signature, trading deals were off and the Empire she had built alongside her colleagues would crumble.

It had always been Yellow who had pushed through with the idea of creating an industry so grand that every single person in the region would be integrated in their network. Why stop at trading overseas when you could make your name appear on every broadcasting system? Yellow had never done anything else than think big, and true… It was because of her that the Diamond Industries had been born. Her initiative…

“… and my money.” She whispered.

The door opened brusquely and she looked up, ready to shout at the maid who had dared to come in like that. But it was no other than Yellow who walked to her desk as if she owned the place.

“Pink.” She said, loud and clear.

“Why do you always have to come into my office like that?” Pink groaned, looking away. “It’s so annoying.”

Yellow slammed an envelope on the table.

“Open it.” She demanded.

“What is it?”

“I said open it!” Yellow started pacing around, nervously.

Pink sighed and opened the plain brown envelope containing… pictures? She looked more closely and her heart skipped a beat. They were pictures of her daughter… pictures of Pearl… But she wasn’t alone. There was someone with her at all times…

“Who is that?” Pink asked, a hard look crossing her face.

“My people are working on it.” Yellow said, casually.

“YOUR people?” Pink stood up, boiling with anger. “What gives YOU the right to have YOUR people follow MY daughter?”

“Settle down, Pink.” Yellow brushed away. “You know they work for the three of us. If I want them to follow our children, that’s what they do. They bring their reports back to me so that we can deal with the situations on hand. Pearl is often in the company of this… person, and I believe it is of extreme importance that you do your utmost to find out who that is.”

Pink sat down, grinding her teeth together. She couldn’t shout, she couldn’t fight… That was the problem in this business contract the three of them had. She had put in the money, but Yellow had kept it going. In the tabloids, Pink was always portrayed as the mysterious leader but Yellow actually spoke to the public. She grimaced. They should have called it the Ki Industries long ago…

“I don’t think you understand how serious this is.” Yellow went on, making Pink even angrier. “Pearl has one path in life: taking over the Industries after us.”

“What about Jinju?” Pink growled. “Why don’t you groom your own daughter into taking over your job?”

“Jinju doesn’t have what it takes to be the main chairwoman of the Diamond Industries.” Yellow said, flatly. “And the Winkles, bless them… the twins are not made for leadership and I don’t believe the young one could handle anything. They are very much like Blue in that aspect.”

“Blue is a very good leader.” Pink hissed.

“Blue spends too much time thinking of herself and not enough on her daughters.” Yellow snapped. “They do what they want. At least my Jinju can reach her full potential in her after school activities.” He sighed and placed her hands on her temples. “We’re not here to discuss our children. We’re here to talk about Pearl staying on the right track.”

“It was your God damned idea to pluck them out of their school and shove them into that miserable place in East Delmarva!” Pink exclaimed. “So don’t come to me now with _staying on the right track!_ ”

“I put them there so that they could learn about the people who we employ! Learn about them and learn to handle them! Not cavort with them!” Yellow shouted, slamming on the table.

“WELL DON’T EXPECT THEM TO LEARN WITHOUT THE RIGHT GUIDANCE!” Pink stood up again.

“DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT GUIDANCE! ALL YOU DO WITH PEARL IS BUY HER EXPENSIVE OUTFITS!” Yellow gasped. “At least Jinju knows who she should be friends with and who is beneath her…”

“I wish you were beneath ME! Then I wouldn’t have to TALK to you!” Pink walked out of her office, sending the pictures flying everywhere. She stormed upstairs towards her daughter’s room and opened the door, gently. She was still sleeping and seemed peaceful enough. The Christmas holidays were always a peaceful time for her.

Did she look different? Had she grown? Pink stared at her for a few minutes, wondering how much a child could change over the course of the years. She herself had always been impulsive and emotional, but Pearl had always been able to calm her down. She didn’t even have to say anything… Just her presence was calming. Yellow was right: Pearl would make for a great leader someday.

As Pink walked away, Pearl opened her eyes, for she had been pretending to be asleep. Truth is, she had been awake for a while now, pondering about what had happened last night. She felt awfully embarrassed about everything she had said to Jasper.

What had happened? How had it happened? Why had she practically told Jasper she wanted to sleep with her? She had to do something about that, and quick…

But as she was grabbing her phone to send her apologies, she saw Jasper had been sending messages all morning and she went red. How could they pretend everything was fine now? Moreover… they had agreed to leave their own feelings – of friendship – aside and do what was best for the group. But didn’t that mean they had to actually sleep together and get caught?

Pearl sighed, knowing there was no other option. She had to call Jasper; she had to clear the air, make it casual and focus on the task again, if that was possible. They had to focus on the task.

Only, focusing on the task was really hard at the moment, as Pearl couldn’t help the appearance of some very strong feelings for the big girl. She wanted it to happen…

 

                               *                     *                      *

Jasper muttered a “thank you” as she left from work that morning, her last pay check in her hands. It was an annoying idea that it had only been a small job around Christmas Eve, but she had earned a bit of cash and they needed all the help they could get for the plan.

She checked her phone for messages, but there weren’t any. Pearl had stopped talking to her somewhere last night, and maybe that had been better… Amethyst had left a few hours ago: the blizzard had stopped and the subway had been reopened. Jinju and Akoya had followed shortly after, when their cars had come to pick them up. Only Jasper had stayed behind, to collect her payment.

Why hadn’t Pearl written back, though? Had she not seen her messages? Was she still asleep? Why did it bother her? Jasper sighed… It was her fault after all, she had hung up on Pearl and made it seem like the battery was dead… they had sent a few messages afterwards, but it hadn’t been the same. Maybe Pearl knew she had gone too far…

Had she, though? Jasper couldn’t really blame her for insinuating and talking about her… desires. Why, she had been doing that the entire year… Showing off her biceps, winking at her, actually telling her she was “available”… Now Pearl had done the same and it felt weird.

But why did it feel so strange? Wasn’t this exactly what she wanted? The girl in whose pants she had tried to get, now wanted to get into hers and she was panicking. Why was she panicking?

At that moment her phone started buzzing and she almost dropped it in the gutter as it was no other than Pearl who was calling her.

“Yes?” Jasper asked, and her voice squeaked. She cleared her throat quickly and repeated: “Yes?”

“Hey Jasper.” Came Pearl’s voice. “Are you free today?”

“I… yes. Yes, I am.” Jasper smiled. “Why, do you want to hook up?” She asked, turning up her bravado.

“Yeah… about that…” Pearl sounded shy. “I’m so sorry… I have no idea what came over me last night… I was really drunk… I said a few things, I’m sorry if they were weird?”

Jasper sighed with relief; it looked like the roles had been reversed again and everything had once more fallen into its proper place.

“It’s fine if you want me.” She grinned, sounding playful. “There’s no shame in desiring these guns.”

“Jasper.” Pearl sounded serious. “Meet me today. We have to talk…”

The big girl sighed.

“Fine.” She said. “Wanna come over to the boardwalk? I’m nearby…”

“I’ll be there in twenty.” Pearl answered.

For a while Jasper sat on the bench she had so often shared with Amethyst when they were just hanging out, staring at the ocean. A few gulls were flying over the soft waves, trying to peck at the small fish beneath. Little mountains of snow were perched everywhere, but the Sun had risen high and was already melting the results of last night’s unexpected blizzard. The boardwalk was still quiet at that time of day; the only sounds she could hear were the soft restaurant noises of the beach stands.

Jasper closed her eyes, slowly drifting off as she leant on her warm shawl.

 

*                     *                      *

 

Peridot was feeling very comfortable indeed, wrapped in all those warm blankets. They smelled of cinnamon and cotton candy and they were so fluffy… or were they sturdy? No, they were… strong? Could blankets be strong? Was there such a thing as a strong blanket? Did blankets have arms? Peridot smiled in her sleep, nuzzling into the arms that held her. Never had she felt safer.

“… it will be August before you’re out of bed…”

Peridot frowned, she could hear the birds singing. Why was someone piercing through that peaceful moment and being so annoying? She breathed in again and pulled the arms tighter around her.

“… laying in bed all day like a clod…”

Peridot groaned, wishing the noise would go away. It was really annoying! Why couldn’t they just let her drift off into her cinnamon and cotton candy paradise?

“… no one is as deaf as the man who will not listen…”

“Whatever, mother.” Peridot mumbled. Then she opened her eyes, suddenly wide awake. “Mother?” She sat up straight in bed, Lapis rolling off her limply. “Sorry Lapis!” She exclaimed. “Lapis?????” Peridot jumped out of bed but immediately regretted it, as she wasn’t wearing anything. Lapis, neatly covered by the blanket, chuckled.

“You do know you’re naked, right?”

“Peridot Edelmann!” Came a shout from behind the door. “The living room isn’t going to clean itself, will you get up already?”

The small girl ducked behind the bed, pulled on her pajamas and ran towards the door. She stopped in mid tracks to turn around and looked at Lapis.

“Could you move to the make-shift bed?” She hissed. Lapis shrugged and hopped on the small bed across Peridot’s, pulling on a sweater as the small girl opened the door, revealing her furious mother.

“Well, look who has decided to stop futzing around!” The woman exclaimed, raising her hands. “Is this the way you treat your guests, by not giving them breakfast?”

Lapis, perched on the make-shift bed, was having trouble stopping herself from laughing. Peridot’s mother was tall and scrawny with broad shoulders and a glint in her eye… Yes, only one of her eyes was visible as the other was covered with a handsome eye patch. It was black and had beads hanging from it, making it look elegant and fancy.

“Well, how about an introduction?” She demanded.

“Mother, this is Lapis, a… friend from school.” Peridot said, softly. “She got caught in the snow yesterday…”

“Yes, that part I know.” The woman walked over to Lapis, who was very glad she had managed to put something on before the door had opened. “I am very pleased to meet you, the name’s Emerald.” She pulled her off the bed. “Come, children! I have your breakfast ready!”

Emerald disappeared around the corridor and Lapis snorted, pulling on some pants. Peridot face palmed, her cheeks pink with embarrassment.

“So sorry.” She groaned.

“Oh your mother’s a riot!” Lapis chuckled. “Did she really make us breakfast?”

“Oh, she probably made us lunch and dinner as well, packed in tuppers for the whole damn week.” Peridot grumbled. “She’s so extra…”

“My mother has never made me breakfast… or anything for that matter…” Lapis sighed. “It’s kind of nice.”

The two girls headed towards the kitchen, where Emerald had set up a couple of plates laden with waffles and sweet treats. The smell of coffee hit Lapis like a hammer and she sat down behind her plate, wondering how anyone could eat that much for breakfast. She hardly ever had any…

“I have some latkes from yesterday.” Emerald informed Peridot. “Ask your little friend if she wants one…”

“Mum, shh… Lapis doesn’t want cold latkes!” Peridot went red and started munching on some dry toast. Lapis watched the scene with a smug look on her face, as she grabbed a waffle.

“Whatever, your uncle – my brother, he loves my latkes. But he’ll eat anything, he loved the donuts too, and God knows I didn’t make those!” Emerald poured some coffee into a mug. “Want some, dear?” Lapis shook her head, smiling broadly. “Anyway, your uncle… what a show he put on with his sweater – you know! The one that lights up and is as ugly as something could ever be! Well, he went to the bathroom and…”

“I know, mom, I was there.” Peridot sighed. “He locked himself in, lights went off, he couldn’t find the switch and he was saved by his sweater!”

“Whaa…?” Lapis choked on her waffle, tears in her eyes.

“Nothing.” Peridot sent some orange juice her way.

 

                

_“Is this the way you treat your guests, by not giving them breakfast?”_

 

“Oh it was a blast!” Emerald started clearing some of the plates. “Hurry up and eat, Peridot! You have to help me clean! Also, why don’t you invite your little friend over one of these other nights so that she can have fun with us? Would you like that, darling?” She stared at Lapis.

The blue-haired girl stopped eating and for a while and looked back, blankly. Peridot thought she had frozen and was about to say something when Lapis spoke up:

“Sounds like… FUNukah?”

Peridot face palmed as Emerald started laughing loudly.

“Oy, she puns!”  
“Please kill me or something.” The small girl said. She couldn’t believe how awkward her situation was right now: she was sitting in the kitchen, having breakfast with her mother and Lapis _fucking_ Lazuli. Not to mention, she and Lapis had spent the night… Peridot squirmed, not knowing what had come over her. She and Lapis had…

“…mounted each other…”

Peridot looked up, spitting out her orange juice.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I said: your aunt sent me a photo of your cousins mounting each other’s horses… Look at them, they’re so happy…” Emerald showed her the picture on her phone and frowned. “Maybe they should switch horses…”

Peridot’s heart started beating again and she looked over at Lapis, who seemed pretty tranquil admits the awkwardness. Oh, to be a Diamond… How wonderful would it be to handle every situation?

Truth is, Lapis wasn’t handling the situation as well as Peridot thought. A sense of guilt was washing over her, seeing how uncomfortable the small girl was. Had she been too demanding the night before? As she ate her breakfast, Lapis started feeling more and more miserable, knowing she had screwed up bad. Break free from her Golden Cage? What had she been thinking? Probably Peridot wasn’t even into her… What had she done?

 

*                     *                      *

 

Pearl smiled down at the sleeping Jasper on the bench. She sat down beside her and gently booped her nose with the tip of her glove. Jasper muttered something about “not setting the lizards free because the candy corn wouldn’t be able to handle it” and the tall girl burst out laughing.

“Jasper, wake up, you’re being too cute.” She hissed. Jasper opened her eyes, and smiled.

“Hey, Pearl.” She sat up straight and looked at her. “You wanted to talk?”

“Yeah… do you know somewhere we could go?” Pearl looked around. “I don’t really fancy fries at this hour…”

“How about we go to the Big Donut?” Jasper suggested, standing up. “It’s right there…” She pointed at the start of the boardwalk. “I’ll buy you a coffee or a skimmed chestnut soy bean latte avocado or whatever thing you rich girls take…”

Pearl chuckled.

“A normal latte is fine.” She said, getting up as well. Jasper smiled at the sight of her as they walked up slowly towards the Big Donut. Her hair wasn’t done in the perfect bun as usual, but a couple of strands hung loosely across her face and the big girl could see it had grown a lot the past few weeks. Her eyes seemed extra radiant that day and Jasper stumbled over a stone after staring too much. When they finally reached the Big Donut, she could hardly remember her own name, so overwhelmed she was.

Sadie was behind the counter – as usual. She worked there part time with Lars, but he was nowhere to be seen. Jasper shrugged and walked over, causing Sadie to sweat nervously in her presence. Jasper always looked so menacing. Pearl caught the stare and chuckled.

“Sadie Miller, right?” She smiled. The short girl nodded.

“Yeah…?”

“Don’t let the dog’s bark get to you.” She whispered, as Jasper hovered over the counter, trying to look at the donuts. Sadie laughed a little and turned towards the big girl.

“What can I… get you guys?” She sounded a little surprised as it hit her that they were actually buying donuts together. Jasper and Pearl!

“We’ll get one of those medium mix boxes… and a latte… and I’ll just have a black coffee…”

“One medium box and a latte coming up and you can tap your own black coffee over there.” Sadie pointed at the entrance, where a table stood, carrying a couple of expresso machines.

Jasper took out some cash and then headed towards the machines, a cup in her hand. Meanwhile Pearl sat down at a table beside the window and waited patiently for their order to arrive. Jasper slammed her black coffee down onto the same table and then walked over to the counter to bring back the rest. When they finally had everything, Pearl sighed deeply.

“I feel like you have to say something…” Jasper mumbled, emptying three packages of sugar in her coffee. “Spit it out…”

“We need to get caught.” Pearl said. “We need to get caught by my mother.”

Jasper almost spit out her coffee.

“Well… yeah… I guess…” She frowned. “We already tried once and your maids didn’t want to bother her… does she have to walk in on us kissing or something?”

“No…” Pearl sighed. “That’s too trivial for her. She needs to walk in on us having sex.”

“Jesus, Pearl! This isn’t the plot of some bad fanfiction!” Jasper hissed. “I can’t believe that’s the only way…”

“Look, we want my mother to find out and only my mother.” Pearl muttered, taking a sip of her latte. “If Yellow found out… dear God, that would be terrible… Mother would never tell her… she’d keep it to herself and find another excuse to stop the project. You have to trust me, Jasper. I know my own mother. She’s not as cold as the other two… She’d be shocked seeing us and get mad, but she would never tell the rest.”

“If that’s what you think…” Jasper didn’t feel convinced at all. “When do you want to do this?”

“She’s at home today.” Pearl said, stuffing a donut into her mouth. “I say we pack these to go and get on with it. My car’s parked at Boulevard.”

“For fuck’s sake…” Jasper slurped up her coffee in one go and stood up, oddly flustered. “You sure you wanna do this?”

“Let’s get it over with.” Pearl crammed the box of donuts into her bag and walked out of the Big Donut. “The sooner this is over, the better.”

“Oh, yeah… you’ll be begging for it to be over.” Jasper growled, slightly offended.

“You’ll be begging harder…” Pearl walked across the street towards the parking lot, angrily.

“You won’t even remember your name afterwards.” Jasper waited as Pearl unlocked her car and got in, aggressively.

“Well, you…” Pearl’s voice got caught in the motor turning on and they drove off to the tall girl’s mansion. As they came nearer with the car, the truth of what they were about to do started dawning on Jasper and she felt her knees shake a little.

“C’mon Jasper.” She muttered to herself. “You’ve done this before.”

And she had, but this was different. It was different because she had fallen for the girl this time, and she couldn’t control the situation anymore. Pearl had her wrapped around her little finger.

They went right through the front door and walked up the handsome staircase swiftly, checking if there was anyone in the corridors. But everything seemed clear so Pearl let Jasper into her room and shut the door without locking it.

“Okay so here’s the plan.” Pearl smiled. “Mum’s office is right under my bedroom. She hates loud noises. We should get into position and when we look credible enough, I’ll drop some books on the floor. But first, we should… get into bed.”

“Yeah, okay.” Jasper walked towards the four poster bed, clumsily, and sat down. She looked at Pearl. Pearl stared back.

“I… don’t really know how to do this.” She whispered.

“Well…” Jasper muttered. “Come sit next to me.”

Pearl felt her knees wobble as she walked towards the big girl. Something felt really wrong about this and it wasn’t the fact that they were using each other so shamelessly… the real wrong in here was the fact that she actually… wanted to.

It was just for pretend, of course… just like the last time… no real sex involved… but for God’s sake, she wanted to. Pearl sat down next to Jasper and sighed.

“You look… like you have a fever.” Jasper muttered, staring at the girl’s flustered cheeks.

“Yeah… well… it’s so warm in here…” Pearl fanned her face with her hand.

“So… um…” Jasper pointed at her cardigan. “You should take this off.”

“Yeah, I should. I shall.” Pearl pulled off her cardigan, shirt and undershirt, leaving a plain black bra in sight. Jasper snorted.

“What’s wrong?” Pearl said, annoyed.

“I would have expected a bra imbedded in jewels.” Jasper smiled.

“Look, leave me alone.” Pearl pulled her pants off, revealing underpants of the same color and simplicity. “You could undress too, you know.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry.” Jasper pulled her own sweatshirt off in one go and Pearl had to look away, overwhelmed. She kept staring at the door as the big girl undressed, sending clothes flying everywhere. Jasper crawled under the covers, unhooking her bra and shooting it at Pearl. The tall girl picked it up and stared at it, wondering how many of her own breasts she would need to fill that monstrosity. She turned back towards Jasper, glaring ferociously.

“Why do you have to do stuff like that? Next time, shoot it out of the window and throw yourself after it.”

“Come here…” Jasper smiled. “Let’s get into a position which looks sexual or something and make your mother come up.”

Pearl sighed and moved towards Jasper, getting under the covers as well. For a minute, she didn’t know what to do, but then she climbed on top of Jasper – whose heart skipped a couple of beats – and stared at her.

“Is this how girls have sex?” She asked.

“Well, it’s much simpler if you turn the other way round.” Jasper chuckled. “But yeah, kind of…”

“What should I do?” Pearl asked, a sense of dizziness creeping up on her. The whole situation was overwhelming. She was trying to keep eye contact with Jasper and not stare at her bare chest, but it was hard.

“Maybe… ki… pretend like you’re kissing me or something.” Jasper muttered, slightly uncomfortable. “Maybe my neck?”

“Okay…” Pearl said, and bent down to stroke her lips against Jasper’s collarbone.

“That’s… not exactly my neck, but okay…” Jasper though her heart would leap out of her chest. She placed her hands gently on Pearl’s waist, holding her steady.

“Damn.” Pearl looked into her eyes.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Pearl bent down again and placed her hand on Jasper’s chest, letting it run down her side. Jasper winced and held Pearl somewhat tighter. But the tall girl wouldn’t budge: she buried her face in Jasper’s neck, feeling more, wanting more, craving something she wasn’t supposed to have.

“Pearl, aren’t you enjoying yourself a little too much?” Jasper asked, trying to sound as sane as possible. “Focus on the task…”

“You’re right.” Pearl send a few books flying from her night table and they landed with loud thuds on the floor. She waited a bit and then picked them up and dropped them again, even sending one flying towards her drawer and dropping a vase. It didn’t break as it was made of some sturdy material, but it sure made a noise. Just a few second later, they heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs.

“She’s almost here.” Pearl exclaimed, straddling Jasper. “Quick, take my bra off.”

“What?”

“Oh come on, you moron!” Pearl cried. “Let her know it’s the grand finale.”

“Taking a bra off is hardly the grand finale of anything.” Jasper muttered, but she unhooked it anyway and froze for a few seconds, staring only at the girl’s chest. Pearl caught her looking and pushed her back onto the pillows, drawing her lips to Jasper’s and actually kissing her. Jasper’s eyes widened but she gradually shut them, feeling good in the warmth embrace the kiss brought with it. She lost track of time and space until the door opened brusquely and she heard a loud shout.

“PEARL!”

Pearl quickly hid Jasper’s face with her hand and froze her body, turning only her head slightly to her mother.

“Mom?”

“In my office! Now.” Pink said, darkly, and shut the door behind her. Pearl jumped out of bed, dressed quickly and threw Jasper’s clothes to her face.

“Get out of the window and meet me at the front gates.” She smiled. “I’ll be there in a few.”

Jasper dressed swift and climbed out of the window as Pearl hurried downstairs. The big girl treaded gingerly down the ivy growing around the building, hopping on the pavement below with a sigh of relief. She hurried through the grounds towards the gates, not stopping until she had reached it. She heaved a sigh of relief and then looked back, wondering if Pearl would be released soon. But the more she thought about what had just happened, the less she felt like she wanted to stay, prompting her to head towards the bus station at the foot of the hill. She whipped out her phone to write a short apology.

 

_Sorry, I have to help my dad, talk to you later._

 

She felt bad for lying, of course, but somehow staying there felt much much worse. Why was this so hard? Jasper thought back to the many one night stands she had had in her time and she had never been bothered by them. Was it because she hadn’t known them? Was it because she loved Pearl? How could that have happened?

The bus from the other side approached slowly and stopped across the street, letting just one person out. It wasn’t a very populated part of Beach City so Jasper didn’t think it strange. Even the bus driver seemed surprised there were actually two people there now!

The bus drove on, revealing a slouching girl with… blue hair? Jasper looked up. Lapis! Where had she gone, and moreover, why was she in the bus? Where were her expensive cars?

Lapis saw Jasper as well and looked around quickly, as if she were expecting the entire crew, but no one else was there.

“What are you doing here?” She shouted from across the street.

“Nothing anymore!” Jasper cried back. “I’m trying to get home now.”

“I’ll drive you. Wait there.” Lapis hurried to her house and disappeared through the gates, Jasper staring after her and wondering what this was all about… why was everyone being so weird? In less than five minutes, Lapis was back, stopping her car in front of Jasper.

“C’mon.” She whispered.

Jasper got into the passenger’s seat and they drove off. The big girl patted the tapestry and looked at Lapis.

“This is a sweet ride… Why don’t you ever drive to school?”

“Pearl brings us.” Lapis said. “One expensive car on the East Delma parking lot is enough, don’t you think?”

“I guess…” Jasper crossed her arms. “Is that the reason?”

“Yeah…” Lapis shrugged.

“Why are you giving me a ride?” Jasper muttered.

“I need a drive.” Lapis looked solemn. “I did something… weird.”

“That makes two of us.” Jasper sighed.

“I figured… you came from Pearl’s house…” Lapis mumbled.

“We pretended to… you know… and her mother came in. It was all so planned… so calculated…” Jasper grimaced.

“Pink came in?” Lapis’ eyes widened. “Did she throw a fit?”

“Dunno… Pearl made me leave and wait for her at the gate…” Jasper sighed. “But I didn’t want to stay.”

“I would have run away too…” Lapis said, softly. “It must feel weird, pretending to have sex with someone you have actual feelings for…”

“What are you talking about, I don’t…” Jasper growled.

“Everyone’s saying it…” Lapis muttered. “It sure looks like it…”

They remained silent for a while and Jasper felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She didn’t feel like checking it, though. They drove quietly through the city ring way, which wasn’t that crowded, and took the exit to the suburbs.

“I slept with Peridot.” Lapis mumbled.

“YOU WHAT.” Jasper looked up, eyes widening.

“Last night. It wasn’t planned… I wasn’t even supposed to be there…” Lapis groaned. “It just happened… and this morning I had breakfast with her mother…”

“Wow.” Jasper looked away.

“I know…” Lapis followed the navigation and came to a halt in Jasper’s street, parking quietly beside some dustbins. Jasper frowned and looked at her again.

“So now what?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” Lapis looked bleak. “I wanted it so much, never pausing to think if she actually liked me, if she actually wanted to… I… I don’t know what she feels about me and it’s horrible.”

Suddenly, the blue haired girl burst into tears, resting her head on the stirring wheel. Jasper sat beside her as she cried, inconsolably, and just waited for her to calm down. For a few minutes, Lapis just sobbed and let everything out, her whole body trembling. After a while, she calmed down a bit and sniffed.

“I’m sorry.” She said, in a cracked voice.

“It’s… okay.” Jasper looked at her. “I’m not really the right person to cry to… you see… I _make_ people cry.”

Lapis chuckled, wiping her tears away.

“You act so tough but you’re actually a softie, aren’t you?” She mumbled.

“I am _not_ soft.” Jasper growled. “You want some advice? Stop being a little bitch and confront Peridot.”

“I did…” Lapis sighed. “I told her how I felt and she said she didn’t feel the same way. I should have stopped there, but somehow I couldn’t let it go and then this happened…”

“How?” Jasper frowned. “How did you get Peridot to do that?”

“She said she loved me.” Lapis muttered.

“Well what’s the fucking problem then?” Jasper snorted.

“I DON’T KNOW! I DON’T KNOW IF SHE ACTUALLY DOES! WHAT IF IT’S JUST CONFUSION?” Lapis cried. “What if her mother won’t let her…? What if my mother finds out…?”

“You GS girls seem so worried about your mothers finding out…” Jasper sighed.

“That’s because once they do, there’s nothing we can do to stop them anymore. They will hunt you down…” Lapis said. “So you like someone beneath you? They’ll end their scholarships, fire their parents, blackmail the whole family… You have no idea what our mothers can get away with.” She sighed deeply. “I can’t believe Pearl actually wanted to get caught… this plan blows, Jasper, and you know it. It’s not going to benefit you at all. They’ll get you expelled before you touch their precious little heir again.”

Jasper bit her lip, frowning even more. What Lapis said did make sense. Why would Pearl be doing something that would benefit the big girl in any way? She just needed a ticket out of East Delma High, her priority wasn’t really to let Jasper stay. And about getting rid of her… she could see the Diamonds doing that…

“So what makes Pearl the heir?” Jasper asked. “What does it mean for the rest of you?”

“Pearl has been groomed to be the ultimate Chairwoman since birth.” Lapis mumbled. “We will become chairwomen as well, of course… Jinju and I will take our mother’s place… But Pearl will have the hard part in all of this, the lives of millions of people will be resting on her shoulders. It’s quite dark if you think of it.”

“How about Akoya and Sapphire?” Jasper asked.

“Do you know those Ye Olde landlord stories?” Lapis muttered. “The eldest was the heir, the second was married off and the third went to the clergy. Well, it’s kind of similar in our case. Akoya and Sapphire will probably be married off to people whose business can benefit from a partnership with the Diamond Industries… and vice-versa.”

“Jesus.” Jasper looked at her. “This isn’t a joke… you guys really are something else… how do you even deal with that?”

“My mother drinks a lot.” Lapis bit her lip. “Pink is always mad… Yellow is a dictator… Jinju has an eating disorder, Akoya suffers from depression, I’m pretty fucked up… Sapphire’s too happy for this world, I sometimes wonder what she’s really hiding… and then there’s Pearl… always composed, always the perfect image… Wonder when she’ll crack.”

Jasper shivered.

“I thought money was the answer to everything.” She muttered.

“Money’s just the beginning of your problems. The difficult part is keeping that money and even increasing its value. Prices rise every year, you have to grow with that in order to avoid a recess.” Lapis sighed.

“What does it matter, though… when you’re chairwomen…” Jasper mumbled. Lapis frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“What does it matter who you date… or even marry?” Jasper sighed. “You can be whatever you want…”

“I guess it’s all about the image…” Lapis said, bitterly. “An old archaic image, that’s for sure!”

“But who can stop you once you’re in charge?” Jasper asked.

“By the time we’re in charge, we’ll already be married.” Lapis said, softly.

Jasper leaned back in the passenger’s seat, letting everything sink in. She had heard bits and pieces from Pearl, but nothing the girl had ever said had made her realize how problematic the situation of the GS really was. She had been a fool, how could she not have known? Everything she had done with Pearl had just been putting real problems off until later. Everything was just an attempt for a couple of teenage girls to keep feeling like teenage girls until their short time came to a halt.

 

*                     *                      *

 

“PEARL WHAT WHERE YOU THINKING!” Pink slammed on the table with her hand, making the tall girl flinch. They were in her office and it was quite stuffy at the moment.

“Look, mother…” Pearl started.

“DON’T YOU MOTHER ME! I have told you since birth how you should act, how a chairwoman should act... so WHAT EXCUSE DO YOU HAVE FOR THIS, PEARL?”

Pearl sighed.

“I… like her?”

Pink sat down, her face buried in her hands. She then looked up slowly.

“Do you have ANY IDEA what would happen if the tabloids found out about this?” Pearl nodded.

“Everything would go wrong, yada yada…”

“You don’t seem to understand that Yellow, Blue and I build an empire. It’s as strong as it is fragile. We control a huge part of the world, whether it’s in trading or just real estate… But if the smallest piece fails, everything comes crashing down and no one wants that to happen. And you aren’t a small piece, Pearl… you’re my heir.” Pink sighed. “It’s about time you start being responsible…”

“Look…” Pearl muttered. “Jinju, Lapis, Akoya… they can all do what they want… so why are you being so hard on me?”

“What the rest do, isn’t my business.” Pink frowned. “They have freedom in dating, but do you think they’ll be able to marry who they want?”

Pearl closed her eyes, sighing deeply.

“Mother…” She said. “Mom.” She looked at her. “Why should we deny our feelings? We came to East Delma High with just one thought: we didn’t want to be there… but the things we discovered, the people we’ve met… they mean so much to us now. They have changed the way we see the world and I don’t think any of us can accept our predestined lives anymore…”

 Pink face-palmed and stood up.

“I told Yellow this project was a bad idea!” She growled. “Why did she even want to make such an elite school out of East Delmarva High? Nothing in this project makes sense and I want to end this! Pearl – you’ve opened my eyes! Just hold on, I’ll get you out of there!” And she left, slamming the door behind her. Pearl smiled a little… so their plan had worked… it had actually worked.

She started laughing, right there, in Pink’s office. It had worked! Pink was going to put halt to the project! It was done! The GS would be pulled out and East Delma would be left alone! She had made it happen!

With Jasper…

Pearl’s laughter turned into uncontrolled sobs and she collapsed on the floor in a fetal position. Up to this point she hadn’t realized how hard it had been to pretend to like someone, actually liking them and then having to give them up just like that. Up to this point… she hadn’t realized how hard it was to let go and go through with something that had been planned from the beginning and yet, once it began, she wanted it to stop.

But what could she do? What could anyone do? East Delma was doomed either way… at least now, they could learn to stand on their own feet and raise some money… they didn’t need the GS there.

But the GS needed them.

 

*                     *                      *

 

The Christmas holidays came to an end much faster than anyone had expected, especially Jasper. She had avoided all contact with Pearl, and it seemed the tall girl hadn’t really tried to either. Instead, she had hung out with the gang once more and Amethyst was ecstatic. For a few days, it seemed like the old Jasper was back and they spend their days lounging at the boardwalk and drinking and clubbing at night. Everything seemed to be back in its place, Amethyst realized. It could only be because Pearl and the others weren’t there…

On the last day of the Christmas holidays, they all sat together on the bench at the boardwalk, staring at the ocean.

“Man… I don’t want to go to school tomorrow.” Buck sighed, passing the joint back to Sour Cream.

“This blows.” Jenny dug her feet in the sand. “Just half a year left and then our school will be private and we’ll hate going to our new schools even more…”

“Any of you gonna try out for those scholarships?” Kiki asked.

“Probably Peridot.” Jasper sighed. “She’s a bit better off than the rest of us, but that doesn’t mean she can pay tuition. I’m pretty sure she’s going to try and get one.”

“She’ll do anything to keep sitting in the pockets of those barbies…” Amethyst sighed.

“The GS have treated them better than any of us ever have.” Jasper growled and Amethyst raised an eyebrow. “Anyway, we have half a year to raise money and stop this.”

“You’re falling into repetition, Jasper.” Jenny looked turned around to look at the Big Donut. “Shall we get some?”

At that moment, Sadie walked outside with a few empty boxes and threw them in the dumpster. Her eye caught the group sitting there and she nodded at them.

“Hey Sadie!” Jenny called. “Bring us a deluxe, won’t you?” She waved her credit card up and down.

“Oh Jenny.” Kiki face palmed. She stood up and walked towards the Big Donut. “Never mind, Sadie, I’ll go get it.”

Sadie shrugged.

“Okay…?”

Both girls walked in and Lars looked up, astonished at the sight of Kiki. He seemed to be really excited that the gang was sitting nearby.

“What can I get you?” He asked, trying to act cool, and Sadie sighed.

“Just a deluxe, please.” Kiki dropped everyone’s cash on the counter.

Sadie was left to place the donuts into the deluxe box as Lars walked outside to get a closer look.

“He acts like you’re celebrities…” Sadie growled, stuffing donuts angrily into the box.

“I don’t see why…” Kiki looked puzzled. “If he wants to hang, he should just… hang…”

“Try to tell him that.” Sadie sighed. “You’re like the GS to them… although some of you seem to be getting along with those girls.”

“Sapphire’s nice.” Kiki smiled. “Sometimes I hang out with her and Peridot during break.”

“I meant Jasper…” Sadie said. “She was in here the other day with Pearl.”

“Really?” Kiki looked surprised as she took her change. “What? Why?”

“You tell me.” Sadie handed her the box. “They left real soon, though.”

Kiki walked out of the Big Donut and headed towards the boardwalk, wondering what that was all about. When she arrived at the bench, Jenny spoke up.

“Hey, sis! You look like you’ve seen weird shit.”

“Well…” Kiki looked at Jasper, placing the donuts in front of them. “Did you hang out with Pearl the other day? Sadie mentioned something.”

Jasper raised an eyebrow.

“That was like… Christmas. Christmas day.” Jasper muttered. “We had a meeting, yeah… so?”

“What did you two meet about?” Buck asked.

“What is this, the police station?” Jasper went red and stuffed a donut in her mouth.

“I KNEW IT!” Amethyst exclaimed. “YOU GUYS ACTUALLY LIKE EACH OTHER!”

“Amethyst – shut up.” Jasper swallowed the donut and frowned. “It’s not like that, we just had to… make Pink Diamond believe that we were doing stuff together… like we had planned.”  
“You mean… you finally screwed her?” Amethyst’s eyes widened.

“Kind of?” Jasper muttered. “It was all pretend, of course. Pink just had to catch us in bed. No intercourse necessary.”

“AND YOU’RE TELLING US NOW?” Amethyst shouted.

“Well, is it something to be proud of?” Jasper mumbled. “This isn’t your typical ‘hey I hooked up with a girl’ kind of situation, in case you haven’t noticed. I pretended to have sex with Pearl so that her mother could catch us and put a stop to this project.”

Everyone was staring in silence, watching Jasper look more uncomfortable by the minute. In the end, Buck spoke up.

“The more I hear this idea, the worse it sounds.” He admitted. “What if the Diamonds pull their daughters out of school but keep going on with the project? Because they will…”

“Then they will have gotten what they want. And if we get enough cash to keep East Delma going, so will we.” Jasper growled. “So yeah, maybe it was a stupid idea, but at least we have them on our side.”

“Everything about this is dirty.” Ruby hugged her knees. “Why can’t they just let us stay on? We only have one more year after this…”

“Because private schools come with tuition.” Kiki said. “That’s just how it is…”

The group stared mournfully at the ocean, wondering if they would make it. What if none of their plans worked?

“I got 300 dollars from my Christmas job.” Jasper sighed, laying it down in the sand. “How about you guys?”

“50.” Buck threw his on the floor beside them. “My allowance came in.”

“I got some money for Christmas.” Ruby dropped a twenty. “Not much, sorry.”

“I have forty…” Jenny sighed. “I skipped a concert.”

“I have sixty…” Kiki threw it down. “I bought a laptop recently, sorry.”

“I have…” Sour Cream rummaged through his pockets. “A ten… But I’ll make some money tonight, I gotta deal.”

Everyone looked at Amethyst.

“Yeah yeah.” She dropped thirty dollars on the ground. “I got lucky at the casino yesterday.”

Kiki started counting the money.

“Almost 500.” She sighed. “Not enough to pay debts off.”

“It’s a start.” Jasper stretched. “We could organize a car wash? Y’all might look good in a bikini.”

“Jasper, no.”

They laughed, a little encouraged. Maybe there was hope after all… They just needed to get some money and then there would be a small chance. It seemed possible, if just a little.

 

*                     *                      *

Peridot sighed as she checked her gradient. She had been laying on her bed all afternoon, dreading the idea that she had to go back to school the next day. The holidays had flown by ever since Lapis had stayed that night and now the blue haired girl wasn’t answering so she had no idea what was going on.

Peridot hadn’t sent many messages; she had only asked if Lapis had arrived home safely, but the taller girl hadn’t bothered to send anything back. The small girl groaned and rolled over her bed, feeling frustrated. What if Lapis regretted having spent the night? Had she been that bad? Peridot buried her face in her hands, not even wanting to imagine that… but then again, she had never slept with anyone before so how could she know what was good or bad?

She almost jumped out of her skin when she received a text and quickly scrolled down her screen to see what it was. It was a message from Sapphire:

 

_Hey Peri, wanna come hang?_

Peridot sighed. No way. School was starting the next day and Lapis lived in that house.

 

_Sorry, Sapph, school tomorrow._

 

 

The small girl smiled. She had dodged a bullet there… of course she wanted to see Sapphire, but the idea of meeting Lapis there made her tremble. But she had partied too soon, for her friend called her. Peridot picked up the phone reluctantly.

“Hmmmmm?”

“Hey Peri.” Sapphire piped up. “Come on, it’ll be fun. We can drive you to school tomorrow!”

“But Sapphire…” Peridot groaned. “I… can’t. I… have homework.”

“You have homework? Oh Peridot, you finished your homework on the first day of the holidays.” Sapphire frowned. “Look, I don’t want to be all distrusting and pushy but that’s exactly what I’m going to be. Something’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong!” Peridot muttered. “I’m fine, everything’s fine.”

“Look.” Sapphire went serious. “I need to talk. I have to confess something. Please come. You’re my best friend and I need you.”

Peridot sighed; she couldn’t tell if Sapphire was being serious or just trying to get her to come. But she decided she shouldn’t doubt her and groaned loudly.

“FIIIINE. I’ll come.” She hissed. “But the busses are real bad on Sundays so…”

“I’ll send you the car.” Sapphire smiled.

Peridot rolled her eyes as she hung up, wondering what it must be like to be rich. But then again, every single conversation with her friend made her think of that mysterious lifestyle the GS lived. The small girl rolled off her bed and opened her dresser, stuffing some clothes in a bag. She walked towards the living-room where her mother was watching TV and knocked on the open door.

“Mom?”

Emerald looked up slowly, her eyes moving from the bag to Peridot’s face.

“Where are you going? It’s school tomorrow.” She hissed.

“Sapphire asked me to come over.”

“And you do what she says?” Emerald looked up. “If Sapphire jumps in a river, so will you?”

“Ugh, moooom.” Peridot groaned. “She’s my best friend.”

“What about that nice girl Lapis who came here the other day? Why can’t she be your best friend?” Emerald exclaimed.

“Mom, Sapphire is Lapis’ sister!” Peridot muttered.

“Oh… that’s fine then.” Emerald smiled. “You can go.” And with that she turned her head towards the TV again, in order to watch her soap. Peridot chuckled and walked to the hallway, a grin spreading across her face. Her mother could be so clueless…

The small girl left the apartment and walked down to the street, looking right and left for a car. She did not expect a white mini to stop in front of her after waiting for a few minutes. Peridot raised an eyebrow: could it be?

“Hey”. A blue haired girl stuck her head out of the window and the small girl almost had a heart attack until she realized it was just Akoya.

“Hey.” Peridot got in beside her and they drove off. “I didn’t know you were sent to get me.”

“I volunteered.” Akoya frowned at Peridot. “I wanted to have a talk.”

“A… talk?” The small girl stuttered.

“Yeah.” Akoya grimaced. “Why is my sister in bed all day, Peridot? She hasn’t moved since that morning she came back from your house.”

Peridot’s heart started beating very fast and she looked away, nervously. What did Akoya mean?

“Lapis?” She whispered.

“Yes Lapis.” Akoya exclaimed. “Look, I understand that you might not like her but if you did anything to lead her on, I swear, I’ll…!”

“I do!” Peridot cried. “I do like her! I don’t understand why she’s not talking to me… I like her a lot!” The small girl curled into a ball as far as the seatbelt let her and Akoya turned to her, surprised.

“Really?” She asked and the small girl nodded. “So why’s Lapis acting like a little bitch then?”

“I don’t know!” Peridot turned towards the window. “I wish she’d just talk to me...”

“Everything about this is so complicated.” Akoya groaned. “Even if you both did like each other…”

“… there’s no way your mother would let us. I know.” Peridot buried her face in her hands.

“That might just be the problem. She’s in too deep.” Akoya came to a halt and Peridot looked up. Were they there already? It was always so surprising how close by the GS actually lived when taking the car.

Both girls went through the gates of the Blue mansion and crossed the gardens, walking steadily up the path towards the front door. Once inside, Akoya headed towards the kitchen.

“Sapphy’s in her room. Something’s up with her too…” She told Peridot, a frown on her face. “I’m sick and tired of my sisters’ secrets.” And with that, she walked away. Peridot sighed and went up the stairs, treading lightly on the carpeted steps. She didn’t want to make her presence known. She had met Blue a couple of times there before and she seemed to be okay with it. Of the three Chairwomen, Blue always looked a little less angry and Peridot preferred her to the others.

Just as she reached the second floor, she heard a door open and her heart almost leaped out of her chest for it was none other than Lapis, wearing PJ’s and looking an absolute mess. The tall girl stared at her for a moment, looking puzzled, then carried on walking. Not a second later, she had stopped once more and turned her head sharply towards the small girl.

“Peridot?” She croaked.

“Oh hey, Lapis.” Peridot said, a bit colder than intended.

Lapis fidgeted with her hair, suddenly realizing it wasn’t that clean at all. She let out a deep sigh… why was Peridot here? Did she come to blame her for ruining her life?

“Why are you here?” She asked.

“Sapphire.” Peridot frowned. “Not that it’s any of your business…”

“Well…” Lapis muttered sadly and the small girl was surprised at the amount of passiveness in her voice. “… I guess not really, no.” She walked towards the bathroom nearby and lay a hand on the doorknob. Peridot stared after her and decided she was having no more of it.

“Lapis!” She exclaimed and the blue haired girl turned around, as if in shock. “You could have said something, you know… during the holidays.”

Lapis nodded.

“I know.” She said. “But I didn’t know what to say… I’m just so sorry… I shouldn’t have done what I did.”

“Well.” Peridot felt anger boiling up inside her. “So that’s how it is now? What, now that you’ve caught the hare, the hunt’s over? Was it all a game to see if you could get me?”

“What?” Lapis stood motionless.

“You heard me.” Peridot wiped away an angry tear. “You can’t just leave it like this… if you regret sleeping with me, just tell me you don’t like me! Don’t cut off all contact, what are you? Some kind of dudebro?”

Lapis sat down on the ground, slowly. She tried to talk but couldn’t speak. It was suddenly hard to breathe. The situation was so intense that none of the two noticed Sapphire’s door opening a little or Akoya’s presence under the stairs.

“Peridot…” She croaked again.

“What?” The small girl dropped down beside her. “Is it so hard?”

“I love you.” Lapis whispered, leaving the small girl speechless. “I love how you talk, I love how you walk… I love that you work so hard to reach your goals in life… I even love how you shout at me when you’re mad… Peridot… I’m so sorry I slept with you.”

Sapphire and Akoya gasped loudly, but again, Lapis and Peridot didn’t notice them being there.

“WHY ARE YOU SORRY?” Peridot exclaimed.

“Yeah, why?” Akoya hissed.

“BECAUSE YOU DON’T LOVE ME BACK AND I FEEL LIKE I’VE FORCED YOU, OKAY???” Lapis cried.

“WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?” Peridot shouted. “I ALREADY TOLD YOU! WE WENT OVER THIS: I LOVE YOU TOO!!!”

“Well would you look at that.” Sapphire muttered.

At that point both girls looked at the door and Sapphire gulped.

“How long have you been there?” Peridot mumbled.

“Too long.” Sapphire said. “And uhm… Akoya’s standing behind you.” The girls spun around and indeed, there she was.

“This is all tender and such…” Akoya grumbled. “Don’t let mother hear you, though.”

“Jesus.” Lapis buried her head in her hands. “How could I have been so stupid.” She looked at Peridot. “You… love me?”

“Yes, damn it.” Peridot stood up. “I… am going to see Sapphire now.” And she ran inside her friend’s room, cheeks burning. Lapis, still on the floor, started laughing as the door closed in front of her. Akoya picked her up, sighing loudly.

“I swear to God, Lapis.” She hissed. “You’re not my twin. There’s no way something this stupid could have shared an egg with me…”

“You’re one to talk.” Lapis walked into the bathroom. “I’m going… to wash my hair now. But let me remind you – before I do that – that Prince Ki still lives.” And she shut the door, leaving a grumbling Akoya behind. Lapis was right.

 

                              *                     *                       *

 

It was fast. It was overwhealming. Quick as lightning, Jinju leaped towards her trainer and struck him in the chest with an elegant movement of her wrist. He took off his mask and bowed to her, showing his respect.

“A good win.” He said.

“Thank you.” Jinju caught herself saying back and was as surprised as her trainer. He walked away, smiling a little and the sandy-haired girl shook her head, grasping for her towel. She had needed that work out. It kept her mind off Akoya and how much she wanted to hang out with her. She hadn’t really been able to see her alone after that night at the mall…

Just as she was about to go to the showers, her mother showed up at the doorway of the gym.

“Mom…?” Jinju frowned.

“Good evening, Jinju.” Yellow walked towards her daughter, a clipboard in her hands. “I have scheduled a school trip for East Delmarva High… I trust you can keep this to yourself?”  
“Yeah…” Jinju peeked at the clipboard, wondering what this was all about.

“Well, it’s going to be a skiing trip.” Yellow went on. “Your year.”

“Really?” Jinju frowned. “It’s not like they can afford that…”

“True.” Yellow smirked. “But we are going to make it affordable for them. I’ve already organized a fundraiser in Empire City and it turned out pretty good.”

“You did what?” Jinju frowned. Had her mother turned kind overnight?

“I need the entire class to go on that trip.” Yellow smiled. “There’s something I need to find out.”

Jinju nodded. That made much more sense than a generous gift from her mother.

“So why the fundraiser?” She asked.

“Oh, that’s just publicity. We don’t want those East Delmarva kids telling us we never gave them anything, do we now?” Yellow laughed. “Anyway, Jinju… I have an important task for you.”

“You do?” Jinju didn’t like the sound of that. Something was off.

“Yes… Your mission during this skiing trip is to watch Pearl.” Yellow smiled. “If she were to do anything… suspicious… contact me immediately.”

“What? Spy on Pearl? She’s my best friend!” Jinju exclaimed. “I can’t do that, I won’t! You’re crazy!” But her words were cut short by a loud slap and Jinju stared at her mother, rubbing her painful cheek.

“You will watch her closely.” Yellow muttered. “And report to me.” With that, she turned around and walked away, leaving Jinju trembling in front of the showers. The girl dropped her sabre and shut her eyes. She reached for the Mars bar she knew was in her pocket and ate it, wondering if Pearl had any idea her mother was so interested in her personal life. This had to be about Jasper.

As she emerged from the bathroom, the bitter taste of the recent purge still in her mouth, Jinju knew she had to report to her mother. If she didn’t, the trouble would be so much worse. She couldn’t disobey her mother… none of them could.

 

                             *                     *                       *

 

Sapphire sat down on her bed and stared at Peridot, making the small girl uncomfortable.

“Stop it.” She asked. “Everything’s complicated, okay?”

“Yeah… but…” Sapphire grinned. “You like Lapis! You liiiiike her!”

“Stop being so childish.” Peridot sat down beside her. “You already knew that…”

“Long before you.” Sapphire sighed. “Long before her.”

“Yeah whatever… you said you had to talk.” Peridot growled. “Or was that just a scheme to get me to come here?”

“How dare you.” Sapphire smiled. “No, look.” She pulled her laptop from under her pillows and opened it, revealing her Gradient page. “I’ve been talking a lot with a certain someone during the Christmas holidays.”

“Is this about a crush?” Peridot craned her neck to look at the page. “If it is… I’m not so good with that stuff.”

“So I noticed.” Sapphire sniggered. “I’m not sure if this is a crush or not, but I think I’m their crush.”

Peridot blinked as Sapphire clicked on the messenger icon and Ruby’s name appeared on the screen. The small girl sighed.

“Ruby? Really? I didn’t know you were… Ruby?”

“Hmm.” Sapphire mumbled. “She’s really cute… and she’s always staring at me in class.”

“Um, really?” Peridot asked.

“Yes… I think she has a crush on me.” Sapphire giggled. “So… I was wondering…”

“Oh no. I don’t speak to them. I only ever talk to Jasper.” Peridot sighed. “I can’t really help you here…”

“Look.” Sapphire said, firmly. “All I need you to do is find out.”

“Oh wow… is that all?” Peridot muttered, sarcastically.

“You’re my best friend! You’re supposed to support me!” Sapphire exclaimed.

“Fine, fine…” Peridot sighed. “Hang on… Got an idea.” She pulled out her phone and scrolled through Gradient until she found the post she was looking for. “Here we go…” She copied the link and switched to another account, pasting it there on the wall.

“What… is that?”

“That’s my… art Gradient.” Peridot sighed. “No one knows it’s mine, but most of the class is following me there. I often repost these quizzes asking about things in your daily life and Ruby ALWAYS does them. She’s brutally honest about it too, for some reason. I mean… you don’t want to know what she answered on this one kink post…”

“Why did you reblog a kink post?” Sapphire frowned.

“Don’t mind that now.” Peridot cracked her knuckles. “We just have to wait and see now.”

Sapphire frowned and then her face lit up, as she observed Peridot’s art account.

“You’re… Meshugge0005 ???” She exclaimed. “I follow you too, the art’s amazing! What the fuck, Peridot? How did I not know it was you?”

“I try to keep a low profile.” Peridot sighed. “My life would probably end if they found out it was me.”

“Well with all the porn drawn on there, you can expect some weirdness.” Sapphire chuckled. “Oh hey! Notification!”

Peridot clicked on the icon.

“Bingo.” She whispered as Ruby had reposted her quiz-like questionnaire. She always did. “Let’s see… question 5: Do you have a crush? Answer: YES.” She looked at Sapphire. “Well, that’s one…”  
“Oh my Gosh! Question number 11!” Sapphire pointed. “What is your sexuality and she wrote GAY!!!”

“Big surprise there.” Peridot laughed. “We knew that already, focus on the new things. What about this: Question 14. Is your crush in the same class? YES.”

“Oh my!” Sapphire giggled. “What if it’s me?”

“It probably is.” Peridot smiled. “I’ve never seen her say yes to this answer before… And look! Favorite eye-color: Blue!”

“Oh that doesn’t prove anything… But…” Sapphire squinted at the screen, her nose almost touching it. “Question 23: Describe a perfect date. And she wrote…” The girl stopped talking and Peridot went on.

“I’d take her somewhere she’s never been before.”

Sapphire was still speechless, clasping a hand over her mouth.

“Sapphy?” Peridot smiled.

“It’s just… not two days ago we talked about this.” Sapphire said. “I told her there weren’t many places I didn’t know and that sometimes I forgot the feeling of going somewhere new…”

“Well, there you have it.” Peridot sighed. “I think you might be right, Sapphire. You guys should… er… talk?”

“Maybe another day.” Sapphire curled up in bed. “Thanks, Peri… I’m really glad you came. I know it was hard for you, Lapis being here and all…”

“It’s okay.” Peridot smiled. “Glad to be of service.”

“Good, now go talk to Lapis.” Sapphire giggled. “And if you come back I will throw my slippers at you until you leave again.”

“What the hell, Sapphire.” Peridot grumbled, hurrying out of the room. Sapphire laughed and picked up a book from her night table. She really had needed that talk with Peridot, but deep down she knew she wanted her friend to spend some time with her sister as well. They had to talk things through.

Peridot walked slowly towards Lapis’ room, wondering if the girl had already left the bathroom. She knocked on the door softly, and heard an equally soft ‘come in’. Peridot moved inside, closing the door behind her and found Lapis sitting on her bed, her wet hair cascading over her shoulders. It looked much longer that way and the small girl went a little pink in the cheeks.

“Hey.” She mumbled.

“Hey.” Lapis bit her lip.

Peridot looked around; she had never really been in Lapis’ room before… it was quite big – bigger than Sapphire’s – and the ceilings were taller as well, an old motive decorating most of them. Her four poster bed stood on a higher platform in the room and Peridot climbed up, finding everything about those girls a bit extra. She sat down beside Lapis and stared at her.

“Well… you said you loved me.” Lapis smiled a bit.

“I did.” Peridot went red. “I do.” She coughed. “Anyway… I’m glad we settled that. Now we can go back to our lives and our mothers who won’t accept this.”

“At least… it’s good to know it was mutual.” Lapis pulled the covers around herself.

“No regrets then?” Peridot smiled.

“None at all.” Lapis pulled her down with her and hugged her tightly. The small girl put her arms around her as well. “Just let me hug you tonight… I don’t want us to be strangers just because my mother could destroy your life…”

“Gee, thanks.”

“You know what I mean.” Lapis laughed. “Don’t you?”

“Yeah…” Peridot nuzzled against her chest. “You’re comfy.”

“Thanks.” Lapis chuckled. “Don’t tell other people I’m comfy.”

“I wouldn’t dare taint your emo reputation.” Peridot grinned and Lapis laughed, holding her tightly. They eventually fell asleep, both feeling whole for the first time in a while.

 

*                     *                       *

 

Jasper groaned loudly as the alarm clock rang, first subtle and then really loud. She slammed her hand on it and got out of bed, muttering loudly. Getting up was horrible, but getting up for school after the holidays was even worse. She didn’t want to face the reality of going to a school she might have to leave eventually… or Pearl not talking to her.

“This isn’t bothering me. This isn’t bothering me at all!” Jasper flung her clothes into the bathroom. “I don’t give a shit.” She turned the shower on and kicked her PJ’s into a corner. “Who is Pearl anyway?”

As the hot water ran over her head it hit her that everyone would be asking her questions about the fact that she and Pearl weren’t talking and she didn’t want that. Jasper washed her hair quickly and watched the shampoo disappear down her body and slide into the drain. If only her troubles could do that too; how much easier would her life be… Who decided anyway? Who had thrown Pearl into her life? And most of all… why could she only think about moving her hand between her legs when so much was going on inside her head? Half an hour later, the big girl stumbled out of the shower cursing herself for having lost track of time due to her unexpected needs and dried herself up as quickly as possible. There was no time to dry her hair so she pulled on her ripped jeans and her favorite KISS sweater and ran to the hallway to throw on her boots. She grabbed her schoolbag and a cookie and ran outside to catch the subway. She would be on time, but her hair was dripping all over the place.

When she finally arrived at East Delma, Amethyst and Jenny were holding an animated conversation with Ruby, Buck and Sour Cream at the door. Kiki was nearby, pouring over her biology book. Jasper grinned a little and moved towards them.

“WAZZZAAAAAP MY PEOPLE!”

“Hey Jazzbomb.” Amethyst high-fived her. “You look… well-rested.”

“Your hair’s all wet, girl!” Jenny touched her strands. “What happened? Did you forget to dry it?”

“I didn’t have time.” Jasper mumbled.

At that moment, the unmistakable sound of Pearl’s car was heard and the big girl stared out of the corner of her eye at the GS, emerging slowly out of the vehicle, Peridot at their side. The small group walked past them, hardly acknowledging them, except Peridot, who nodded. She seemed a little shy.

“Jeez.” Amethyst muttered, as they passed. “All they needed were some Christmas holidays to shove a stick back up their ass.”

“That’s what you get when you can afford your own helicopter.” Jasper laughed and Amethyst stared at her, surprised.

“You’re not defending them?”

“I’m done with a lot of things.” Jasper said, promptly. “We’re all just using each other, no need to be nice, right?” And she walked away, leaving Amethyst mildly pleased. Jenny, though, frowned.

“Yeah?” She muttered. “Just like that? Something’s fishy.”

“Your car’s fishy… FROM ALL THE PIZZA!” Amethyst laughed and turned around to follow Jasper. “You heard her… no more playing nice.”

Jenny sighed and looked at Buck, Sour Cream and Ruby.

“Something’s wrong with Jasper and Amethyst’s being stupid about it.” She said. “I think we should do something about it.”

“We can try to cheer her up…” Ruby said. “Let’s play rugby in gym today – she loves that. And it’s first period so she’ll be happy for the rest of the day.”

“Good idea.” Buck said. “I’ll be the referee.”

But their enthusiasm was cut short when they paraded into gym class and Barb announced they were going to learn Yoga that semester.

“You kids don’t know the benefits of a healthy stretch.” She had announced at the beginning of the lesson. “Therefore, we shall all learn how to keep our balance via these simple exercises.”

But those simple exercises didn’t turn out to be simple at all. Barb made them stand in two rows, one in front of the other. Jasper groaned internally as Pearl placed herself neatly in front of her with her mat. Why couldn’t she just stand somewhere else?

“First of all, we are going to do the Sun Salutations.” Barb grinned. “It’s the perfect start to a body balance routine. So let’s bend down with a large exhale…”

Everyone bend down, trying to touch their tows. Of course, the GS were perfectly elastic, but Jasper noticed Pearl was something else. She could touch the floor with her elbows, keeping her legs completely straight. Jasper turned a little red as they moved to some core exercises and everyone had to spread their legs and lean on both sides. Jasper’s eyes were glued to Pearl’s behind, watching the girl’s every move. When Barb told them to tilt their heads backwards and Jasper failed to do so, her eyes met Pearl’s for a few seconds and the thin girls’ stare was so intense, Jasper had to look away. It was… accusing. But also infatuating… How could a stare be so many things at once? Her eyes seemed to scream hate and love, betrayal and desire… all at the same time.

 

                            

_"Her eyes met Pearl’s for a few seconds..."_

 

After the final stretches, Pearl walked away quickly, dumping her mat on the stack with the rest. She hurried towards the girls’ bathrooms and locked herself up in a stall. Jasper moved quickly behind her, before the others could reach the bathroom, and knocked on the door, sighing deeply.

“Pearl…” She muttered.

 

*                     *                       *

 

Pearl had sighed deeply when the alarm clock had rung that morning, for she didn’t want to go to school. Those had been maybe the worst Christmas holidays she’d ever experienced, and it had all started that morning Jasper had left her house without a single goodbye. She had not dared to text the girl, knowing… just knowing she had ruined whatever good there had ever been between them. She had come to terms with the fact that she had feelings for the girl but couldn’t act them out. It was all so ironic: pretending to love someone to scheme a plan and actually falling for them. Pearl had gritted her teeth: it looked like the plot of some feel-good romcom.

She thought she could deal with it but when she had arrived at school that morning and had seen Jasper at the door, looking fine as ever with her ripped jeans and wet hair, her heart had sunk to the ground and it had been all she could do to head into the building quickly, never looking back. Luckily, gym was first period so she wouldn’t have to be cooked up in the classroom with her. How wrong had she been.

As she sat on the toilet seat in the bathroom stall, all curled up in a ball, she though of how stupid she had been, stretching in front of Jasper like that. She wanted the big girl to acknowledge her, to see what she was missing. She wanted her to pay for running away. But then again, everything was her own fault. She couldn’t really blame her for not liking the idea of having pretend sex with her in front of her mother.

Suddenly she heard a knock on the door and sighed, thinking it was Jinju. She was about to tell her to go away when she heard Jasper’s deep voice saying her name.

“Pearl?”

The tall girl sprung up and looked around quickly as if she were looking for an escape route. But it hit her that she was in a bathroom stall and that there wasn’t really somewhere to go to.

“Look, Pearl… I know you’re in there.” Jasper said softly. “And I hope I can say enough before the others come bustling in… but the truth is, I’m sorry I left so suddenly the other day. I don’t know what to do, but clearly ignoring you is not the solution.”

Pearl opened the door a little and peeked at Jasper through the slot.

“If you want to keep pretending for your mother, it’s fine.” The big girl muttered. “I don’t know why I freaked out, it’s just so different with you, I guess.”

“Are you saying I’m special?” A small teasing smile spread along Pearl’s face and she opened the door wider.

“I’m saying you’re different.” Jasper sighed. “Don’t ask me why, I’m not good at this kind of thing. All I know is that I want to keep hanging out with you.”

“Okay… DUDE.” Pearl mumbled. “You want to be bros now? Are we gonna fist bump each other aggressively in the hallways?”

Jasper laughed a little.

“I’d like to throw you down on a bed and show you just how aggressive I can be.” She whispered.

Pearl didn’t seem taken aback at all. She moved sideways and leaned against the wall of the stall.

“You know…” She said, softly. “I wouldn’t even mind.”

At that moment Jinju, Akoya, Sapphire and Peridot walked in, ready to change out of their gym clothes.

“Jasper, get out.” Jinju said, snapping her fingers.

“Oh no, please let me stay and stare at your ass.” Jasper muttered ironically.

“Just go.” Jinju started getting things out of her bag. “We barely have time to change as it is.”

Jasper hopped out of the bathroom winking at everyone and then stopped at the doorway.

“Since when do you guys get changed in the bathroom anyway?”

“Barb told them they couldn’t use the classroom anymore.” Peridot explained. “So now we just go to the downstairs bathroom.”

“Okay so we have to get changed in different bathrooms?” Jasper snorted. “Whatever, you guys.” And she ran upstairs to get changed as well. Her heart was racing. The conversation with Pearl hadn’t been exactly satisfying. Maybe they were talking again, but Jasper had struggled to let her real feelings come true and the big girl realized she had sounded like some horny brat. But then again, so had Pearl.

They had Vidalia for their next class and she came with an interesting announcement.

“Listen up, everyone.” She said. “We are going on a school trip!”

Everyone looked up, surprised.

“You mean… like a museum?” Jenny asked.

“Actually… we’re going skiing.” Vidalia smiled. “Courtesy of the Diamonds. We’ll be going to their resort…” But she couldn’t finish as everyone was cheering loudly.

“WE’RE GOING SKIING!!!” Jasper and Amethyst bellowed at each other.

“HELL YEAH!” Ruby stood up and ran a victory round through the classroom, making the corners of Vidalia’s mouth twitch. The teacher had no idea why the Diamonds had offered such a generous gift, but she was happy that her children could actually have fun for once. And a skiing trip was just what they needed… Vidalia’s expression changed… it was just what they needed to calm down. She sighed. The Diamonds were never kind… they were smart.

“Let’s…” She slammed on the table for attention. “Let’s go over the details, shall we? In a week’s time, on Sunday, we shall all gather around on the school yard at six pm and we’ll get on the bus that’ll take us to Empire City. From there – and you guys will like this – we’re taking a plane overseas.”

“No way!” Peridot exclaimed. “We’re going overseas?”

“I’m guessing our ski resort in Sort?” Pearl said, slyly.

“Well, yes.” Vidalia smiled.

“Yup, that’s where we go every year.” Pearl stretched lazily. “It’s a nice place, you guys’ll like it.”

“Anyway.” Vidalia went on. “You don’t have to take care of anything, you can lease everything there… but you should bring warm clothes and I want everyone’s health certificates in order.”

There was a general mumbling in the class about health certificates and Vidalia took that moment to sit down and sigh deeply. Jasper turned to Pearl, frowning.

“Why would your mothers pay for us to go skiing?”

“I have no idea.” Pearl answered. “I wasn’t told.”

But Jinju, sitting in the back beside Kevin, buried her face in her hands. She didn’t want to admit it but the task her mother had prepared for her was proving to be very challenging indeed.

*                     *                       *

 

Jasper stretched broadly as she finished polishing her motorbike. It was getting late and she had spent the entire afternoon helping her father in the garage. He had gone to his night job now and Jasper had eaten something quick and had gone back to the garage. The smell of paint and grease often helped her get her mind off things.

Just as she was about to rub her hands with her grease cloth, there was a knock on the door and she opened the side-door slightly, revealing a nervous Pearl in the driveway. Her car was parked a little further away.

“Hi?” Jasper cleaned her hands slowly, staring at the girl.

“Hey.” Pearl walked inside and Jasper closed the door behind her.

“So… um…” Jasper threw the cloth on one of the work tables.

“Mum’s being impossible so I came here. It’s the only place she doesn’t know exists yet.” She sighed.

“So your mom got mad and you escaped to your girlfriend?” Jasper grinned.

“You’re not my girlfriend.” Pearl said, staring at her blankly.

“You don’t know the meaning of irony.” Jasper laughed. “Come inside… have you eaten?”

“Yeah. It’s late.” Pearl followed Jasper to her room and leaned against the wall as the big girl closed the door behind her. “I just… need a place to crash.”

“I figured.” Jasper said. “My bed is yours or whatever.”

Pearl kept staring at Jasper, as if there was something she wanted to say. But as she kept quiet, the big girl threw her a T-shirt and some sweatpants.

“PJ’s.” She mumbled, and proceeded to undress, expecting Pearl to look away. But she didn’t. Jasper shrugged and dropped her clothes on the floor, unhooking her bra and flinging it over her chair. She pulled on the tank top she used for sleeping and sat down on her bed. Pearl remained silent.

“Well…” Jasper got into bed and flung the covers around herself. “I don’t know about you, but I’m… going to sleep. Turn off the light when you make a decision, will you?”

Slowly but steadily Pearl removed her own clothes, giving Jasper a reason to stare now. The big girl didn’t look away at all, the sight sending shivers down her spine. Her flaming hair, her ivory skin, the piercing eyes staring back. Everything was a very well calculated game, Jasper thought, and Pearl could play her very well indeed. As she pulled on Jasper’s clothes and walked towards the bed, the big girl winced a little, knowing mistakes were inevitable. She did not have the strength to turn her away, not with the love she felt and the undeniable desire bubbling inside her.

Pearl climbed into bed with her and bent down to kiss her collarbone, her lips lingering slightly over her toned skin. Then, she looked at Jasper.

“Let’s do it for real this time. No pretending, no catch.” She whispered.

“Why?” Jasper asked. “What good will it do?”

“I’m not sure.” Pearl smiled. “I’ve never done it before. But I know I want to and it’ll probably be easier if we get this over with. This thing… this desire... it has been standing in the way of my clarity for a long time now and I just need to do this in order to be myself again and think. I have to think.”

“Do you rich people need to have a reason for everything, though?” Jasper sighed. “Can’t you just admit you want me?”

“Well… you asked for a reason.” Pearl answered. “And I just made it very clear how much I want you. So are you with me or not?”

“Oh I’m with you.” Jasper yanked at her shirt and pulled her down so that she could kiss the girl. Pearl was a little surprised but closed her eyes and kissed back, falling deeper and deeper into a sense of protection. Jasper’s arms were around her and it felt as if nothing could harm her. For a moment all she wanted on Earth was to remain in that sweet embrace but then she realized she couldn’t stay there. She couldn’t afford to stray so deep. She couldn’t allow herself to fall in love in such a way.

Pearl kissed Jasper’s neck and the big girl tilted her head backwards, feeling every nerve in her body tingle in anticipation. She turned around and pinned Pearl against the bed, making the smaller girl gasp in surprise. Jasper was holding her wrists really tightly and she found it to be very far from uncomfortable. She was almost disappointed when the big girl softened her grip.

“You weren’t hurting me.” Pearl said quietly. Jasper raised an eyebrow and tightened her grip once more, making Pearl groan a little.

“So that’s what you like, huh?” Jasper grinned. “Playing it rough seems a little much for an heiress though…”

“Just… go on.” Pearl muttered and Jasper proceeded to kiss her neck, even biting when she had the chance. At first she just nibbled a little but seeing Pearl’s positive response, she decided to step up her game and took a bigger nip. Pearl let out a small yelp but held Jasper against her, wanting more.

“Jeez, Pearl. I don’t want to break your skin.” The big girl muttered.

“It’s fine…” Pearl pulled off her shirt. “Just do your worst.”

Jasper chuckled.

“I’ll do my best.”

She ran her hands along Pearl’s bare skin, kissing her chest and wandering down until reaching her hips. Pearl wasn’t really surprised at how experienced Jasper seemed and felt glad it was like that. She had never been with anyone before and even though she had put herself in a position that seemed far from rational, she knew that she had never felt safer in her entire life. Jasper’s kisses, Jasper’s caresses… Pearl knew that’s where she belonged. For the first time ever she felt her life didn’t depend on the place she was raised in: a new place was forming in that very room by both of them being together. Slowly yet steadily, Jasper was coloring a new page in the book of her life and she knew there was no going back unless she tore it out. But she didn’t want to.

Pearl let out a soft cry as Jasper moved between her legs with her hand and caressed her softly. She wanted more, she knew she wanted more, and gripped the big girl’s shoulders tightly, urging her to give. Jasper bent down to kiss her neck, never moving her hand away and Pearl gritted her teeth in order not to cry out. It was pretty overwhelming. But she wanted even more.

“Bite.” She whispered into Jasper’s ear and the big girl closed her eyes, fighting her own arousal. She swapped the next kiss for a bite and felt Pearl flinch under her.

“Did I hurt you?” She asked and Pearl was amazed at how worried she sounded.

“I’m fine.” She croaked. “Do go on.”

Jasper bit a little bit harder and knew it was over as Pearl let out a loud gasp and suddenly brought her knees together, trapping Jasper’s hand between them. The big girl caressed her a little longer, feeling Pearl writhing beneath her and then moved away, leaving the overwhelmed girl panting next to her. Jasper perched herself on one arm, staring at her with a smile.

“You…” Pearl gasped. “You look awfully pleased with yourself.”

“I did good.” Jasper winked at her.

“You’re such a bro…” Pearl sighed. “What is this, a talent show?”

“With the sounds you made, it might have been.” Jasper grinned and Pearl hit her with the pillow. Jasper went into fits of laughter as she tried to defend herself, but Pearl was ruthless. Still, even the smaller girl had to laugh in the end and Jasper threw her arms around her, holding her tight.

“You’re beautiful.” She whispered.

Pearl stared at her warm eyes, feeling surprised. A whole new Jasper had appeared and she didn’t know what to make of her. She realized, though, that sleeping with her hadn’t quenched any kind of thirst. It had made her understand that it was going to be much harder to keep her feelings under control than she had initially though.

 

                        *                      *                        *

Jinju groaned in exasperation when she tried to call Pearl for the twentieth time and the girl didn’t pick up again. She was sitting on a bench by the beach, drowning in her frustration. She had to talk to her, she had to tell her about Yellow’s plans. But Pearl didn’t seem to understand the urgency of the matter… how could she?

The sandy-haired girl hugged her knees and sighed deeply. She didn’t know how much time had passed since she had sat down there, after driving out to Boulevard that evening. Her mother didn’t know… her mother didn’t care. Yellow had always been obsessed with Pearl, not her own daughter.

“Did your stocks crash or something?”

Jinju looked up to find Amethyst sitting next to her, a can of beer in her hands. She frowned, thinking of the irony.

“What are you doing here?”

“Not much.” Amethyst shrugged. “Came walking by and saw you moping. What does a rich girl have to mope about?”

“We have feelings too…” Jinju said, softly. Amethyst snorted.

“Jinju Ki has feelings. Wow.”

“Are you here to mock me?” Jinju glared at her. “Because I’m not in the mood and I will leave if you don’t.”

“Yeah, why don’t you leave and take a drive in your SUV.” Amethyst snorted. “Someone out there should care about your problems.”

Jinju sighed.

“Do you have more?” She asked, nodding at her beer. Amethyst looked utterly surprised.

“You want a cold one? It ain’t no fancy cocktail, you know…” She laughed.

“I’m rich, not stupid.” Jinju muttered. “I know what cheap beer is just as well as you.”

“Fine.” Amethyst drew another can from under her hoodie and tossed it over, raising an eyebrow when Jinju caught it neatly in the air. “But I’m not taking you home drunk.”

“I’d rather die in a puddle of my own vomit.” Jinju grimaced.

“That’s nasty.” Amethyst muttered as Jinju opened the can and took a large gulp. “You nasty.”

“Oh you don’t even know how nasty I am.” Jinju laughed, sarcastically, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. “And I’m not scared to be either. Wanna see?”

“Sure?” Amethyst frowned, but wished she hadn’t said anything as Jinju threw up right in front of her. “Oh dude… What is this, Heathers?”

“Yeah.” Jinju said. “I haven’t done this for a long time. And now I’m doing it again. And Pearl won’t listen, I need to talk to her so bad, but she won’t listen. Do you even know, Amethyst? Do you know what it’s like to have someone you can always count on and then one day they decide to not be there for you anymore, or they just can’t find the time anymore…”

Amethyst nodded sadly.

“Trust me. I know.”

Jinju looked at her, feeling a small sense of connection at that moment.

“Jasper?” She asked.

“Yeah.” Amethyst sighed. “Been trying to call her all evening ‘cause I was feeling like shit and you know… before she met Pearl, she was there for me. Not five minutes after a call she’d be running out of her house to get to me…”

“I know what you mean. Pearl would do that for me.” Jinju smiled. “Maybe I used up all my friendship cards with her, I don’t know. I wished I hadn’t though, I really needed her just now.”

“Well… I think we both know where she is and what she’s doing.” Amethyst sighed. “They sure know how to take advantage of a situation.”

“They sure do.” Jinju agreed.

They weren’t similar; in fact, they couldn’t be more different. But both girls felt a sense of companionship that evening they couldn’t really describe as anything else than mutual understanding. Deep down they both knew that talking to each other had done them good. As Jinju drove back to the mansion, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit better. Who needed Pearl? She had stopped being there for her so why should she keep depending on her so called friend? The task her mother had given her seemed less and less illogical by the minute. Truth is, she’d probably be helping Pearl… A relationship with Jasper would only bring her problems.

Jinju parked in front of the gates and got out of the car, to take a breath of fresh air. Just as she was about to go through, a figure approached her from the left and she almost had a heart attack.

“Jesus Christ, Akoya!” She exclaimed, as the blue haired girl stopped in front of her.

“Sorry, sorry.” Akoya muttered. “I just came out for a walk and then I saw you.”

Jinju stared at the girl, who was wearing a bathrobe and slippers.

“In your PJ’s?”

“Bathrobe.”

“Yeah, like you aren’t wearing your sexy nightgown under that.” Jinju muttered.

“I’m wearing a bathrobe over it, that’s what matters.” Akoya crossed her arms awkwardly.

“Psche.” Jinju placed a hand on the gate. “Anyway, why are you out here?”

“I’m here worrying about Lapis.” Akoya said. “Don’t mind me.”

“’Kay.” Jinju sighed. Suddenly, she knew this was her chance to actually spend some time with the blue haired girl. “Wanna come in?”

Akoya looked up, her heart beating fast.

“Come… in? Inside? Your house?”

“No, my space shuttle… Yes, my house!” Jinju rolled her eyes. “I was thinking of watching Heathers. Have you seen it?”

“No…” Akoya smiled. “Let’s watch it.”

And the two of them walked up the driveway, both feeling a lot better than that morning and for the first time in years, truly comfortable with each other. That was surely a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: School Trip Special Part 1 !!!
> 
> The class goes overseas to the Diamonds' ski resort! Can't wait to finish this chapter, it's going to be so much fun!!! Stay tuned :D


	12. School Trip Part 1: Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang prepares for their School Trip to the Diamonds' Ski resort in Europe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello, this hiatus is over. I'm sorry, school was tough BUT IT'S SUMMER NOW AND I'M PLANNING ON WRITING MORE AND MORE DIAMONDS. Yes, I'll totally work faster now that school isn't in the way. Did your year go well?
> 
> The new episodes, huh? I couldn't do a thing for two days, they made a real impression. I miss my wife Jasper, though. 
> 
> Anyway, here's some stuff for this chapter:
> 
> Agapi Mou - My darling (in Greek). I researched, I swear.
> 
> Song Jasper is listening to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILHNW3xpxpo
> 
> Don't know what 'Heathers' is? Here you go (movie trailer link, but you should actually check out the musical): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5gHF3FNr78&frags=pl%2Cwn

** Chapter Eleven **

** School Trip Special Part 1 **

 

 **P** earl drove steadily towards the freeway, checking the time on the dashboard clock. It didn’t seem like they were going to be late… Jasper, on the passenger’s seat, was checking her phone, frowning a little.

“What’s up?” Pearl asked, matter of factly.

“Amethyst’s been trying to reach me last night. I wonder if something’s wrong…” Jasper sighed. Pearl smiled at the sight of the big girl, perched knees up on the car seat. She was so endearing. But her smile faded too.

“I know…” She muttered. “Jinju has left me a bunch of calls as well. The moment you’re not available is when they need you the most…”

“I’m not usually _not available_.” Jasper mumbled. “Ame is my best friend.”

“And Jinju is mine.” Pearl said, firmly. “A friendship is about more than always giving… sometimes you have to take as well.”

“This isn’t taking… this is _not giving_.” Jasper sighed.

“Look… I’m sure it’s fine.” Pearl said, reassuringly. “I mean, has Ame always been there for you every single time you needed it?”

“Well…” Jasper frowned. “Sometimes she’s out partying and won’t look at her phone all night.”

“Exactly. Jinju too.” Pearl nodded. “We’re all human… no one can be there for the other person 24/7, it’s just life. It’s no use beating yourself up for these little moments of weakness, Jasper… if you live completely to the wishes of one person, you’ll soon start forgetting yourself. Sometimes you just need to choose what’s right for you at this moment… like I did last night.” Her cheeks turned red. “It’s not egoistical to care for yourself once in a while.”

Jasper smiled at the girl. She had let her hair loose that morning and it bobbed around her face with every movement. There was a glint in her eye that she hadn’t come to know since the night before.

“What you’re saying actually makes sense.” The big girl said and Pearl smiled back at her.

“Things you learn when a hundred thousand lives depend on you.” She chuckled. “Just future CEO things.”

The two of them laughed as Pearl took the next turn to East Delmarva. Soon they were parking right in front of the gates and they got out. Jenny, Buck and Sour Cream stood at the entrance with Kiki and Ruby, but there was no sign of Amethyst. Jasper and Pearl nodded at the others and walked towards the school building, leaving the gang gaping.

“Did they just…?” Jenny exclaimed.

“They came in the same car!” Kiki cried out.

“But wasn’t Jasper all like ‘I’m done with this’ just yesterday?” Sour Cream frowned.

“Love acts in mysterious ways, my man.” Buck lifted his sunglasses. “I think they like each other.”

“Good luck with that!” Jenny snorted. “Pearl’s nice and all, but I don’t see that ending well.”

At that moment Amethyst parked in front of school and got out, a sour look on her face. It brightened a little when she saw her friends, though.

“Hey Ame.” Jenny high-fived her. “You doing okay?”

“Not really.” Amethyst sighed. “But who cares, right?”

Jenny and the others frowned.

“What do you mean?” Ruby demanded. “We care!”

“That’s not it…” Jenny sighed. “It’s Jasper, isn’t it?”

“She didn’t answer any of my calls last night.” Amethyst growled. “What kind of friend does that…”

“You could have called any of us as well, you know.” Jenny muttered.

“Anyway.” Ruby interrupted. “Jasper came with Pearl today.”

“More like she came with Pearl _last night_.” Said a voice behind them, and they saw Jinju stepping out of her car with the Winkle sisters.

“Damn.” Jenny and Buck muttered under their breath but Amethyst chuckled.

“Good one, Jinju.” She said, and both girls walked towards the building together with Akoya, who seemed pleased to be at Jinju’s side. The gang stared questiongly at Lapis and Sapphire, who shrugged.

“Don’t look at us, we don’t get it either.” Lapis muttered. She looked at Sapphire. “Wanna wait for Peri by the fountain?” Her sister nodded and they walked away, leaving everyone unsettled.

“This is weird.” Jenny sighed. “Ever since they came, everyone’s been weird. I’m so tired… what do those girls have that makes everyone fall for them like that?”

“Jealous?” Kiki muttered.

“No!” Jenny looked away. “I mean, why does Amethyst have to act like Jasper’s her only friend and when she feels betrayed go to Jinju like that? I’m her friend too… we all are.”

Ruby nodded.

“I think we were closer before the GS came… But I don’t think it’s their fault.”

“Oh Ruby…” Kiki sighed. “Of course it is.”

“No, it’s not… If they weren’t such important people, it would have been alright. But we saw them as the enemy since the first moment. Because their mothers want to take our school away.” Ruby mumbled. “It could have been great; you know? If they hadn’t been their daughters.”

“In another dimension, maybe.” Buck said. “But here they’re just… _mean_.”

“The Diamonds are. But I know for a fact that the girls are alright.” Ruby insisted.

“That’s your crush for Sapphire speaking, not your rational self.” Jenny scoffed and Ruby went red. “Not that you’re ever rational…”

At that moment they heard a loud ‘hey’ behind them and saw Peridot standing at the gates. She walked towards them, angrily.

“Don’t you have something better to do than criticize your friends?” The small girl asked. “So Ruby isn’t rational, well thank God someone here acts on her heart.” And she walked towards the fountain where Lapis and Sapphire were waiting. Everyone stared after her, surprised, Ruby most of all. She had always gone along making fun of Peridot with Amethyst… but now Peridot had defended her? What was going on? Ruby didn’t know, but one thing she was certain of: and that was a nagging feeling of guilt that was starting to grow.

 

*                     *                       *

 

Jasper and Pearl were sitting in the classroom, waiting for the others to arrive. Everyone seemed to be a little late, including Mrs. Maheshwaren, who was supposed to give them math that morning. The big girl was sitting on her desk, her legs stretched out in front of her, resting on Pearl’s desk. The red-haired girl sat next to them, her hand resting on Jasper’s ankles. She kneaded them softly, staring at the door.

“I don’t really want to be here today.” She whispered.

“Me neither.” Jasper winked at her. “Wanna skip?”

“You’ll get suspended!” Pearl exclaimed.

“Nah…” Jasper stretched a little. “I haven’t skipped class in a while.”

Pearl stood up, pushing her chair aside.

“Well, let’s go!” She exclaimed and Jasper laughed. “But… they have seen us this morning…”

“Well, we could make up some kind of excuse…” Jasper grinned.

“I know!” Pearl smirked. “We could say we had to leave for that project Yellow Tail is making us do in pairs…”

“What project?” Jasper frowned.

“Oh Jasper… Maybe you don’t skip class but if you’re there you don’t listen either…” Pearl sighed. “We have to pair up for biology and collect thirty items which ‘weren’t made by men’. Don’t you remember? Yellow Tail showed us that weird-ass German video about everything hand-made breaking and shattering…”

“Oh yeah, that…” Jasper chuckled. “Everyone was naked at the end.”

“Yes, alright, good to know you remember that.” Pearl growled. “ _Anyhoo_ , we could say we had to do that or whatever.”

At that moment Peridot entered the classroom and they both looked up. The small girl seemed surprised at seeing them there and walked up to them.

“You guys know Mrs. Maheshwaren’s missing, right?” She asked. “I mean, she called in sick this morning.”

“Wow!” Pearl said. “We didn’t know…”  
“So that’s why no one came up to class.” Jasper laughed. “Should’ve known…”

“Well… let’s go do Yellow Tail’s project!” Pearl grabbed Jasper’s hand and they both ran down the hall together, making Peridot smile. Everyone was talking about them in the school yard, but the small girl knew deep inside that what those two had was a little more genuine than the gang portrayed it.

Peridot walked downstairs and headed for the school yard, passing a still very guilty Ruby. The small girl ran after her, tugging at her arm. Peridot stopped and turned around, surprised

“Ruby?”

“Listen…” The small girl said. “Thanks for… um… you know… Defending me back there.”

“No problem.” Peridot said, casually.

“You don’t understand…” Ruby muttered. “You actually stood up for me when you had no need to do that.”

“It’s no big deal…” Peridot mumbled. “It’s not like I defended your honor with my sword and shield or something…”

“Look… I was horrible to you…” Ruby sighed. “Because if I stood up for you, I would have probably got shit from Amethyst. I was so scared.” Peridot raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never been like that. You never cared how they treated you… You’ve always been who you wanted to be.”

Peridot sighed.

“I think most of us have a moment of weakness when we want to be accepted by those who don’t really care about us. Or maybe they do, but we’re so scared of losing them that we don’t risk doing anything which we think will keep us away from them. It’s not until we realize who our friends really are that the feeling starts to fade.”

Ruby looked at her.

“Have you ever had that moment of weakness?” She asked. Peridot paused for a while and hung her head down.

“I wanted to belong with you guys… so much. I had always told myself that I should just ignore everyone’s teasing and study hard so I could go to college… But at the same time, your gang was always so cool. So when Amethyst convinced me to act like a double agent, I went for it. But I couldn’t take it.” Peridot sighed. “I’ve never had a friend like Sapphire before.”

“Yeah… Sapphire’s lovely.” Ruby mumbled, absent-minded and Peridot chuckled.

“Hey… Ruby…” She said. “I was about to ask Sapphire if she wanted to take a walk for Yellow Tail’s project… wanna come with?”

Ruby’s face lighted up.

“I have no idea what project you’re talking about but I wanna come!” She cried. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Peridot laughed and the two of them headed towards the fountain where Sapphire was chatting with Lapis.

Jenny elbowed Amethyst in the ribs.

“There goes another.”  
“Ruby…” Amethyst sighed. She had left Jinju and Akoya inside, as they had gone to the bathroom. “I’m so sick of everything.”

“Well you hang out with Jinju… isn’t that the same?” Jenny muttered. She grabbed Kiki by the arm. “Come sis, let’s go do that Yellow Tail project everyone’s talking about.”

 

*        *       *

Sapphire and Lapis looked up in alarm.

“Is Peridot coming our way with Ruby?” The small girl squeaked and started rummaging in her pockets. “Lapis, do you have lipstick?”

“What do you want lipstick for?” The blue haired girl exclaimed. “And… why would I have lipstick?”

“I don’t know, I’m panicking!” Sapphire mumbled. “Ruby’s really cute! Help me!”

Lapis looked perplexed.

“Sapphire… do you like her?” She sighed. “Don’t be like the rest of us, you can still save yourself.”

“Shut up, they’re coming!” Sapphire stood up and pretended to drink at the fountain, even if she was just trying to cool her face.

Peridot grinned broadly when they arrived.

“Hey Sapphire!” She exclaimed. “Ruby’s coming with us for the Yellow Tail project, is that okay?”

Sapphire, her head still in the fountain, held a thumbs up and Lapis face-palmed.

“However.” Peridot turned to look at the blue haired girl. “We were supposed to do the project in pairs… will you join us, Lapis?”

Lapis looked up and saw the small girl’s eyes twinkling. Was she… flirting? Was Peridot actually flirting? The blue haired girl grinned broadly and stood up.

“Let’s go, I say!” She threw an arm around the small girl’s shoulders and moved her along, leaving Ruby staring after Sapphire, who was still trying to cool down. “Hurry up, you two! We don’t have all day!”

The four of them went off the school grounds and headed for the park nearby, that connected with the hills. Lapis’ arm moved away from Peridot’s shoulders and held her hand instead. The small girl seemed surprised but didn’t really mind, as she squeezed Lapis’ hand tightly. The bigger girl smiled and stroked her fingers. It was hard to describe the feelings shooting like fireworks through her heart: they both knew they liked each other… even loved each other… and yet it was forbidden. Did that thought give it an extra edge? Lapis bit her lip and looked away, cheeks burning. Not far ahead, Ruby and Sapphire were walking in a similar demeanor, their feet shuffling and their cheeks pink. Lapis shook her head… how was this even possible? A few months back she and the other girls had come to that East Delmarva school against their will, strong and ready to bring it down just like their mothers wanted them to. They were to be shaped into leaders by learning how to handle their people but those people fought back and conquered them instead. Lapis looked at Peridot’s golden locks bobbing up and down beside her and smiled fondly at the girl. A few months back the only thought on her mind was to leave that dreaded school… now all she knew was that she could never leave Peridot behind.

“Will you stop staring at me?” The small girl muttered, annoyed, and Lapis snorted.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about the meaning of life and how that changed for me…” She chuckled.

“Am I such an important factor?” Peridot sighed.

“You made me see what matters…” Lapis smiled sadly. “I hope I can apply that to whoever I’m married off to…”

Peridot went quiet and let go of Lapis’ hand. The taller girl sighed and stopped in her tracks. Peridot turned around to look at her, lips trembling.

“I don’t think I can do this.” She muttered.

“Do what?” Lapis asked.

“This! It feels like we’re pretending to date for a school play…” Peridot closed her eyes.

“It feels rather real to me…” Lapis mumbled.

“You don’t understand! Pretending like we can actually be together is even worse than whatever Jasper and Pearl are doing…” Peridot whimpered. “I really really like you, Lapis! I told you before, I want one hundred per cent or nothing at all.”

“I can’t give you that.” Lapis said, quietly as she sat down on a rock. She beckoned the small girl to come near and Peridot sat down beside her. “It’s not in my power, I told you before. I really really like you too, but if I attempt to be with you, Yellow Diamond will take it out on your family. Best case scenario, I get thrown out of the family and the business… but that’s not how our mothers work. Their like Egyptian Faroes, they want to keep what’s theirs and make sure we go down with them. They will never let me go.”

Peridot leaned against her shoulder.

“I know.” She whispered. “I’m just having a hard time accepting that.”

“I’m having a hard time accepting that too. I never really cared until now.” Lapis kissed the top of her head. “You got feelings, actions and words out of me I literally never used before… I mean, I still feel like myself… but it’s like you added something, you know what I mean?”

“I know.” Peridot nuzzled against her. “I never really cared either when my mom spoke about this one boy they kinda want me to marry at some point in my life. I figured no one would love me anyway and I just wanted to study. Now I also want to study… and be with you. Is that so much to ask?”

“It is in this world.” Lapis stood up. “Come, Peri. Let’s do Yellow Tail’s project. We can’t sit her moping; we need to go on.”

“You’re right.” Peridot stood up and slipped her hand into Lapis’. “Let’s go.”

 

                                         *               *               *

Pearl sat down in the grass and heaved a huge sigh as she stared at the view. She and Jasper had climbed to the top of the nearby hill, not far from where the others were roaming, and so far hadn’t found anything not made by men.

“I think Yellow Tail just wanted to teach us a lesson.” Pearl mumbled. “I believe there really isn’t anything not hand-made anymore…” Jasper sat down beside her. Pearl smiled and went on. “I mean… you could say we didn’t invent weeds…” She tugged at a small plant growing beside her feet and sighed again. “But if mankind hadn’t existed we wouldn’t have this exact weed right here right now…”

“And we wouldn’t have _weed_ …” Jasper frowned. “Amethyst’d be bummed.”

Pearl snorted.

“Don’t you ever get philosophical?” She asked. “Aren’t you fascinated by the subject?”

“There’s not much point for someone like me to think.” Jasper stretched her back and it cracked, letting out a large ‘plop’. Pearl winced a little. “But some things aren’t handmade.”

“Oh really?” Pearl laughed. “Like what?”  
Jasper frowned a little and then looked at her.

“Air.” She muttered. “I mean, we can make oxygen tanks and all… but air just kind of… exists… right?”

Pearl looked pleasantly surprised.

“Yeah.” She mumbled. “Air…”

Both of them stared at the suburbs of Beach City laying beneath them in the morning Sun. Pearl drew closer to Jasper and rested her head on the big girl’s chest. Jasper seemed a little taken aback but she put an arm around her shoulders none the less. They sat there for a while, in silence, feeling the Sun on their face.

                            

_"Air..."_

 

“There’s going to be a lot going on.” Pearl whispered then. Jasper frowned.

“What do you mean?” The big girl asked.

“Life is hard.” Pearl pressed her cheek against Jasper’s chest, always amazed at the size of it. “Can you trust me all the way?”

“Are we talking about the Diamond Industries or your lust for bondage?” Jasper muttered, looking at the clouds above.

Pearl chuckled.

“I’m talking about everything.” She said, softly. “Do you trust me?”

Jasper smiled and brushed her cheek against the top of Pearl’s head.

“Sure?”

“Good.” Pearl stood up, towering over her. Jasper thought she looked quite impressive with the Sun shining behind her and her hair moving in the breeze. “Let’s keep moving.”

The big girl got up as well, still smiling. Something about Pearl made her want to hug the girl and squeeze her tightly but at the same time admire her from a distance, cheeks burning. That was kind of embarrassing. Jasper walked on, adopting her usual strut. Pearl was such an amazing person; how could she feel even remotely normal beside her?

 

*               *               *

 

The school trip couldn’t come soon enough. Vidalia spent the days before huffing and puffing in the corridors, tired to death by the excited students. All the other grades were in uproar as well, even if they weren’t going on the trip. It was thoroughly just… chaos.

“Don’t forget you have to be here real early.” Vidalia told the class on the Friday before the trip. “So if any of you has a long commute, I suggest sleeping over at a nearby house.”

“Okay!” Jenny screamed between the dozen raised voices that came up as Vidalia had finished talking. “I have the couch, the spare matrass and the bathtub…”

Amethyst crossed her arms and looked away. She hadn’t been talking to the gang those days and seemed quite unimpressed with the idea.

“We can handle a few.” Pearl said calmly, as Vidalia left for break. “We could probably fit the whole school in any of our houses.”

“Stop boasting.” Jenny laughed, and Amethyst glared at the scene. Why was everyone pretending to be friends now?

“Okay, but seriously!” Pearl giggled. “Some of you live really far.” She looked at Jasper, eyelids lowered.

“Don’t you live far too?” Kevin muttered from the back.

“Homegirl here has a car.” Jinju mumbled, as she sat next to him, filing her nails. Everyone snorted and she looked up, eyebrows raised. “What did I say?”

“ _Homegirl_?” Pearl sniggered.

“Careful, guys… we’re dealing with a gangster.” Jenny laughed.

“Leave me alone.” Jinju said softly, but the corners of her mouth were twitching. Amethyst couldn’t help but smile… Jinju really was becoming more humane these days.

“She’s right, though.” Pearl said. “We all have cars.”

Jasper, who had remained quiet until then, leaned towards her.

“How many are you planning to take?” She said in a low voice. “Your house may host an entire universe but your car has like four extra seats…”

“I know.” Pearl smiled. “But with Jenny living nearby, and Kevin and Amethyst having cars as well, the whole class will be here in time for the school trip. No worries.” She looked up. “Let’s divide, people!”

There was a general scuffle as everyone tried to move at once. Lapis and Sapphire both got hold of Peridot, who shook them off laughing. Ruby stood quietly beside them, hoping for the best, but Jenny came over first and the small girl had to hide her disappointment.

Jasper looked at Pearl, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course.” Pearl laughed. “I honestly think you’ll be my only guest, though… Jenny lives nearby and that rules Kiki out… Amethyst has a car, Kevin is taking Lars and Sadie… the rest are settled…”

“Well, that’s fine.” Jasper grinned. “I don’t mind being your only guest.”

“I don’t mind either.” Pearl pursed her lips, eyes shining.

The class streamed outside for break and the two of them sat down on the stone bench near the wall. Pearl sighed and smiled at Jasper.

“I think you’ll like the ski resort.” She muttered, stretching her arms. “Do you like skiing?””

Jasper laughed.

“I’ve never tried…” She said. “It’s not exactly an option for us peasants.”

“I should think some forfaits make it pretty easy even for you guys to have some fun.” Pearl sighed. “But I guess I tend underestimate how difficult the economy is for some people.”

“Ya think.” Jasper growled and Pearl nudged her.

“Don’t be mad.” She hissed. “I’m letting you stay over.”  
“Wow big deal!” Jasper pushed her away.

“I’m letting you sleep in my bed, you ungrateful fuck!” Pearl laughed, grabbing her arm and trying to come closer, but Jasper held her at a distance, her biceps proving too strong for the girl. “Stop doing that!”

“Doing what, being buff?” Jasper chuckled and brought her arm back. Pearl collapsed on top of her and punched her in the shoulder. “ _Ow_ , I guess?”

“Don’t be a bro.” Pearl winked at her. “I don’t do bros.”

“Oh you made that very clear a few nights ago.” Jasper smirked and Pearl went red. She punched Jasper again while the big girl went into fits of laughter. Jinju, who was sitting at the fountain with the Winkle sisters, Ruby and Peridot, frowned.

“Look at her flirt.” She hissed. “Everything else stopped being important, she ditched us like dirt.”

“Correction: she’s just acting.” Ruby piped up. “We told them to do that.”

“I’m afraid this has gone beyond acting, Ruby.” Akoya stood up. “But Jinju, don’t make a big deal about this… You might end up hurting Pearl.”

“I know.” Jinju snapped. “That’s why I haven’t told my mother or anything.” A wave of guilt washed over her as she was reminded of her special task. “Yet. Anyway, maybe we should do something.”

“No.” Lapis growled. “Leave them alone, they aren’t doing anything wrong.”

Jinju sighed deeply and walked across the yard towards the gang. Jenny looked up and nodded.

“Have you seen Amethyst?” Jinju asked, casually.

“No, she’s been sulking for a week now.” Jenny crossed her arms, looking angry.

“So have you, though.” Kiki muttered but her sister ignored her.

“Great.” Jinju looked around and saw Amethyst sitting by herself near the entrance. She headed off in her direction, trying to evade the smell of marihuana coming from Sour Cream. “Ew, dude!”

“It’s medicinal!” He called after her but received a backwards bird flip.

Jinju walked up the stone steps that led to the entrance and headed for the bench where Amethyst was sitting. She slumped down next to her and ignored the look she got.

“Go away.” Amethyst growled. “I’m enjoying my solitude.”

“Oh boo-hoo.” Jinju took out her phone and started scrolling through her Gradient.

“Can’t you do that somewhere else?” Amethyst muttered. “You’re ruining my peace.”

“There’s no peace here, not even without me.” Jinju scoffed. “You’ve been ignoring everyone these past few days, like get over yourself!”

Amethyst looked away, looking disgruntled.

“Everyone’s been ignoring me too…”

“If that’s how you react when people try to approach you, no wonder.” Jinju tapped a picture to place a like on it. Akoya had been uploading some nature photos lately. Amethyst looked up, angrily.

“You don’t understand! My best friend just ditched me and everyone’s acting like they’re fine with it!”

“Wow, I wonder how that could possibly feel!” Jinju sighed. “We went over this, Amethyst, or were you too drunk to remember?”

“I remember you throwing up, if that’s what you mean.” Amethyst smirked.

“It’s not funny.” Jinju went back to scrolling.

“Yeah it is.” Amethyst sighed. “Did you watch Heathers already?”

“That very night.” Jinju answered. “Akoya and I had a movie night, it was real fun.” She paused. “I’m a Heather, aren’t I?”

“Kind of.” Amethyst chuckled. “Rich, everyone worships you… people want to kill you…”

“Still…” Jinju mumbled. “Pearl’s that too… She’s just acting like she’s not. But her destiny is to take over the Diamond Industries… not me, not the Winkles… her. So what does Jasper have?”

“The opposite.” Amethyst muttered. “She’s not rich, she’ll never have something like the Diamond Industries… I think being a poor nobody kinda makes Jasper even more attractive to Pearl than she already is.”

“More?” Jinju asked.

“Yeah, I was told Pearl likes girls like her.” Amethyst smiled. “Jasper likes girls like Pearl.”

“Does she?” Jinju mumbled.

“She’s always gone for the petite ones.” Amethyst chuckled. “It’s different with Pearl, though. I think it’s real.”

“So why are you so mad?” Jinju asked.

“Because I know Pearl will disappoint her and she’ll go back to how she was when her mother died. She can’t deal with loss.” Amethyst groaned. “I was just trying to protect her, but Pearl is gonna dump her so bad and she’ll break this time, she’ll just break.”

Jinju was still for a couple of seconds, staring blankly in front of her.

“Wow.” She said, finally. “That’s a lot to process there… first of all: you’re right, they’re not eternal. There’s no way Pearl could possibly keep it up… not with her being future CEO and so… And then… wow, that’s kind of heavy… Jasper doesn’t look like someone who would break… I didn’t even know about her mother…”

“Not many people do.” Amethyst placed her arms behind her head. “You know, sometimes I wonder if Pearl does.”

“Well, I wouldn’t know.” Jinju went to Akoya’s Gradient page, absent-minded. “Wait, a selfie?”

“You have the attention span of a rabbit.” Amethyst growled.

“Sorry, but Akoya uploaded a selfie and that’s kind of big.” Jinju exclaimed, cheeks flushed. “Sorry. Back to Pearl and Jasper… How much do you think they’re really… you know… doing stuff?”

“Do you have a crush on Akoya?” Amethyst asked, ignoring her question. Jinju went even redder. Why was she asking that? She had been there at the mall as well, during the snow-in at Boulevard.

“What does it matter?” She snapped. “It’s not your business.”

“Come ooooon.” Amethyst coaxed her. “Got a gift card for Massimo Crushy?”

“Ugh, Amethyst! That might be your worst pun yet!” Jinju said, looking disgusted and making the purple haired girl laugh. “But seriously… it doesn’t matter who I have a crush on. They’re not my prescribed destiny.”

“Well… at least it makes you seem less like a cold hearted bitch.” Amethyst smiled. “Knowing you’re able to… loooove.”

“Shut up, AmeTrash.” Jinju laughed. Amethyst looked surprised but then burst out laughing as well.

“You’re alright.” She muttered. “I could probably burn this place to the ground with my current mood, but of all the Diamonds, you seem real.”

Jinju looked at her and Amethyst was puzzled to see a gaze of surprised gratitude.

“No one really sees me as the ‘real’ one…” She whispered. “Most people think I’m fake.”

“Aren’t we all pretending to be what we’re not?” Amethyst sighed. “I act like I’m chill with everything, but I keep pondering about things for days. Maybe you’re not just high heels and makeup either.”

“I actually love sports.” Jinju confessed. “I mean… not that you can’t combine sports with makeup and heels, but my personality has always tended to be a little _wild_ in the past. I drove my mother crazy.”

“I would have loved to see that!” Amethyst chuckled.

“No, really… I’d beat up boys and would always come home with my clothes torn.” Jinju laughed. “Everyone used to be afraid of me. And then high school started, and I guess I had to change because my mother had started to threaten me by sending me to boarding school. And I couldn’t… I wouldn’t be parted from Akoya.”

Amethyst stared at her, wondering how much Jinju Ki had kept bottled up all those years. She wasn’t all money, and she certainly wasn’t all vain. The heiress was much more than she’d ever realized and that made her ponder about how well you could really end up knowing someone when you hardly made an effort for just scratching the surface. Maybe she had just scratched Jasper’s surface. But no! That couldn’t be! She _knew_ Jasper…

“I know what you’re thinking.” Jinju smiled. “No one really is what they seem, huh?”

“How did you know?” Amethyst muttered.

“Because that’s what we were talking about.” Jinju stood up. “Hey Amethyst…”

“What?”

“Do you like racecars?”

Amethyst frowned, taken aback by the question.

“Why would you even ask me that?” She exclaimed.

“Well, do you?”

“Hell yeah!” Amethyst laughed. “Why, though?”

“Because I haven’t raced in a while and I’m thinking of hiring off the Delmarva tracks for some racing.” Jinju winked at her. “Like sometime after the school trip. You in?”

“Am I in?” Amethyst spluttered. “You mean; you’d let me watch the races?”

“No, you dumb-ass!” Jinju laughed. “We’d be driving. Racing. Against each other. You know, sport.”

“HOLY CRAP!” Amethyst shouted. “YES! I’D LOVE TO GO, OH MY GOD! THIS IS AMAZING! JINJU KI YOU’RE MY FAVORITE DIAMOND GIRL CEO THINGY!”

 

                                   

_“Wait, a selfie?”_

 

As the purple haired girl ran off, Jinju sighed and looked back at Akoya’s Gradient profile again. She wished there was some kind of way to be perceived as “real” amongst the others, especially Akoya. But Yellow Diamond wanted her to spy on Pearl during the ski trip and there was no getting out of there… Not unless she wanted to go to Boarding School this time… Jinju bit her lip and caressed Akoya’s selfie with her finger. Turning her back on Pearl would make Akoya hate her… turning her back on her mother would mean she wouldn’t be able to see her every day. Their lives would go on different paths again, just like that summer before high school, and this time they wouldn’t even attempt to reconnect, Jinju knew that. Yellow would make her finish her education and then study business at the University, marrying her off as soon as possible. As for Akoya, being the oldest of the twins meant she’d have to be married before Lapis or Sapphire… Jinju groaned. It was cruel, but they’d both end up at the same University being promised to someone else.

But then again, wasn’t that their future anyway? Did she have to spy on Pearl? Probably so… Everything would be worth it if it meant she could spend one more year at Akoya’s side.

 

                                  *               *                *

 

Jasper was packing her gym bag when her father called her. She looked up from the mountain of laundry on her bed and grinned.

“Hey, dad.”

Her father smiled wearily and leaned against the doorpost.

“All packed?”

“Not really.” Jasper smiled. “The washing-machine ate half my socks and I’m trying to decide which ones are warm enough for a skiing trip. I mean… all my socks are those short ones you can use to show your ankles while wearing sneakers…”

Jasper’s father laughed.

“Maybe you can lend some from Amethyst?” He asked. “Or… the girl you’re having a sleepover with.”

“Pearl?” Jasper laughed heartily, making her father smile. “Her ankles are the size of toothpicks.”

“Oh well, that won’t really work then.” He laughed as well, but he soon got serious and sat down on her bed, next to her. “ _Agapi mou_.” He switched over to Greek and Jasper looked up. Her father always spoke Greek when he was serious. “Be careful, won’t you?”

“Yes, dad.” Jasper answered, changing to Greek as well. “Everything will be fine, you have to trust me. Besides, it’s just a school trip.”

“A school trip to Europe, that is!” He exclaimed. “I mean; come on! And the Diamond Industries are paying for that…”

“Probably so that we don’t sue them for taking our school.” Jasper muttered, throwing her toiletry bag on top of the packed goods. “Those people are a menace.”

“Isn’t that girl one of them?” Her father asked.

“Pearl, yeah.” Jasper smiled. “She’s a bit different… I think she doesn’t really want to inherit the industries.”

“Oh?” Her father said. “A rebel?”

“Maybe.” Jasper muttered. “She thinks she knows what she has to do in order to do the right thing but she’s sacrificing her happiness to meet her mother’s needs.”

“That doesn’t sound too unfamiliar.” Her dad mumbled.

“What do you mean?” Jasper grumbled and he laughed.

“Oh Jasper, I’ve always admired your strong character. But you know I’d never make you take over the business, right?”

“Well, dad.” Jasper sighed. “I like working here… besides, it’s not like I’m good at studying or whatever…”

Her father sighed too and sat up straight.

“I remember a little girl who got pretty good marks.” He said, softly. “I know she went through a rough patch… I know she’s not out of that completely yet… But what I also know is that her potential lays far beyond her own beliefs.”

Jasper snorted.

“Dad, you’re sweet.” She said. “But I’m not that little girl anymore…”  
“I know…” He muttered. “Ever since your mother died, you became strong in a way I could have never asked from you…”

“Stop.” Jasper said, firmly. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Oh, Jasper.” He patted her arm. “All I meant is that you had to grow up too fast, so I wonder where my little girl went. And what she’s up to now.”

Jasper shrugged.

“I’m not doing drugs.” She said. “In this neighborhood, you can count your blessings if your kid isn’t on crack.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.” He sighed. “Somewhere along the way, asking you if you liked any boys became even more awkward than it should have been for a single dad.”

Jasper went cold inside. What was he insinuating?

“I realize it’s not my thing to have deep conversations like this, that was always your mother…” He sighed. “But… should you be struggling with… should you… you know… sometimes love can be confusing…”

“Actually.” Jasper interrupted. “It’s not really confusing. It’s never been confusing.”

“No?” He asked, looking perplexed.

“No.” Jasper answered. “I’ve always know who and what I liked and I never doubted myself or felt ashamed… I never really question my feelings, dad. You know I don’t do that. I just act upon them.”

“That’s good… I think?” He was struggling, Jasper knew he was doing so. She had to help him.

“Dad… I like girls…” She said, softly. He sighed deeply.

“I kind of knew that, but I’m happy you told me.” He said, after a while.

Jasper blinked and looked away.

“I know it’s not what you wanted…” She muttered. “It’s not something I can help, though.”

“Oh Jasper, it’s not about what I want.” He drew closer and held her in a one-armed hug. “It’s about what you want and who you feel comfortable with…” He sighed. “Love should be about warmth and comfort, forming a family together and trusting each other unconditionally.”

“Stop being mushy.” Jasper muttered.

“Find yourself someone like that.” He continued. “And you’ll have them by your side forever.”

Jasper moved away from him and zipped her bag up, pulling it over her shoulders.

“Mum didn’t stay forever, did she?” She asked, her voice hardened. Her father stared at her, and for a while, he was silent. Then, he stood up as well.

“She may be gone, but her love will stay with me forever.” He said, quietly. “We have to learn to live without her, and that hurts more than anything… but at least we had those few years with her, and I would do it all again, Jasper. Even if I won’t ever hold her again, it was worth it. Find yourself a worthy girl. Find yourself someone who’s so worth loving, it doesn’t matter if you can spend a day by their side or the rest of your lives. Those are the moments in life that really count.”

Jasper nodded and headed for the door.

“I have to go now…” She mumbled. “But thanks for the advice. I’ll see you in a week, okay?”

He stared after her as she disappeared down the street, her bag on her shoulder and an arrogant strut. As she headed for the subway, he wondered if she’d take his advice to heart. Her eyes had lit up every single time she had spoken about Pearl so far…

Jasper sat down on the plastic seats in the train and stuffed her earbuds in her ears as she stared disgruntled at the dark tunnels and half-empty stations they were racing past. Her father’s words had made an impact, but she wasn’t sure she could handle all that.

It would have been easier with her mother.

Jasper shut her eyes and concentrated on the music. She had a long subway ride ahead… and then a bus transfer… Pearl couldn’t pick her up: the big girl would have to sneak in in order for Pink not to find out. She smiled; the irony was big on this one. They had started pretending to mess around so that Pink would actually find out, but now they had to do everything in their might to keep whatever they had, hidden.

 

  
  


_If you see me crying and burning like fire_

_look for me in the lies you have in your heart_

_If you see me crying and burning like fire_

_look into the truth you had in your arms_

_but I have no tears anymore_

Jasper paused the song as she reached her stop and got out, grimacing at the idea of the gang discovering about her taste in music. She usually listened to rock and metal – and she truly enjoyed it – but sometimes she fell back to good old Elena, and that was fine too.

Jasper walked onto the dark streets and waited patiently by the bus stop. After not too long, a small neighborhood bus stopped in front of her and she hopped in. Her heart beat faster and faster as the stop near Pearl’s mansion came nearer. When at last it was time to press the bell, she could hardly breathe… Curious how intense going to Pearl actually was.

Jasper got out of the bus and wished the driver goodnight, as she was the only one to get out there. She walked up the dark hill leading to the mansions and sneaked in quietly through the iron gates, making her way up the path towards the left side of the house. She placed her hands on the wall ivy and started climbing up, carefully but steadily, until she had reached Pearl’s room. When she reached the windowsill, she stopped and stared inside.

Pearl was sitting in front of her dresser, combing her hair. She was wearing a light blue bathrobe and looked very serene indeed. The light was soft and cozy, almost as if she were expecting a hot date. Jasper grinned… maybe she was. Almost as if she knew she was there, Pearl turned around slowly and didn’t even startle. She just smiled and opened the window quietly, letting her in.

“Hullo, gorgeous.” She whispered and Jasper’s heart skipped a beat. She bit her lip and hopped in, trying to keep it together.

“Hey, hot stuff.” She said, turning up her bravado once more. Pearl chuckled.

“Girl, you don’t even know.” She smiled and Jasper raised an eyebrow.

“What don’t I know? That you’re hot?” She chuckled.

“Oh everyone knows how hot I am.” Pearl said, softly. “Just not the entire extent.” She winked at Jasper, who felt her legs go weak. “Wanna find out?”

“Yeah, sure, why not.” The big girl felt as if her head had fallen off and rolled into an other dimension. Somehow, her voice sounded like another person speaking for her and she was just a mere spectator.

“Then you’ll have to wait for me to get out of the bathroom first.” Pearl walked elegantly to the door that led to her own private washroom and turned around to smile at her once more. “See you in a few minutes, you beautiful creature.”

“I’ll be waiting here, sizzling stuff.” Jasper answered, and they both burst out laughing. Pearl walked into the bathroom and proceeded to shut the door, a twinkle in her eye. Jasper took off her pants and shoes and hopped into the bed. Somehow she felt foolish for not expecting something like that… It was obvious how attracted they were to one another… how could they not be all over each other on… a sleepover? Jasper snorted, they hadn’t even mentioned a spare bed or anything… they both just _assumed_ they were going to sleep together.

But then what? What would happen at the ski resort? Would they be too obvious? Would Amethyst and Jinju throw all kinds of shit fits? The big girl couldn’t tell… It was a dangerous path to take, but then again… those were the moments in life that really counted, or so her dad had said.

Jasper stared at the ceiling, wondering if she could count all the carved flowers before Pearl emerged from her bathroom. The girl had been in there for a while now and she wondered if she had fallen asleep in the tub. Laying on her queen-sized bed, Jasper smirked at the idea of being in Pearl’s room. It wasn’t like she’d never been there before, but officially sleeping over seemed almost weird at the moment. What were they? Jasper had never cared about labels and Pearl certainly wasn’t the first person she’d ever been with, but something about the whole situation made her feel dizzy… like the rides in Funland.

The door opened and Pearl emerged, wearing a black lace nightgown. Jasper felt her cheeks burn but couldn’t look away, she was so pretty. Pearl sat down on her bed and undid the bun she had worn for her shower, letting her locks cascade down her neck. She turned towards Jasper and smiled.

“You’re so pretty.” The big girl muttered and Pearl chuckled.

“And you’re only finding out now?” She replied.

“No, I mean… This is literally the first time I’ve seen you without makeup… You never removed it at my place… not that I use makeup remover…” Jasper snorted. “I put my face under the shower.”

Pearl laughed, eyes twinkling.

“Of course you do.” She smiled. “But thanks, I’m flattered.”

“So am I.” Jasper grinned. “For letting me see what the tabloids can’t.”

“I don’t think me without makeup is the most private aspect of what you’ve seen.” Pearl muttered, drawing the covers around her.

“Not with that nightgown, no.” Jasper smiled. “It doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”

“Imagination? You mean memory.” Pearl winked.

“Stop seducing me, I need my rest for tomorrow.” Jasper pulled the covers around herself as well. She couldn’t handle it… it was too much…

“Oh you can sleep in the ‘plane!” Pearl moved on top of a now bewildered Jasper and stared at her, playfully. The big girl didn’t think twice and placed her hands on the girl’s waist, pulling her closer and closer until their lips almost touched.

“Kiss me.” Pearl said, softly. “And don’t let go.”

Jasper held her close and their lips locked, not wanting to let go. It wasn’t until the big girl felt Pearl’s nails digging into her shoulders that she moved away a little.

“Sorry.” Pearl sighed. “I just needed to do that.”

“Why, though?” Jasper grinned.

“I… don’t know.” Pearl muttered. “It’s not that I want to hurt you or anything, I guess it just… turns me on?”

Jasper chuckled and stroked her cheek.

“I think it’s kinda cute.” She said. “And I don’t break easily.”

“You see… this.” Pearl smiled, going red. “This is the kind of stuff that gets me going, I don’t know why, but it just does.”

“So go ahead.” Jasper said, suddenly feeling brave. “Do your worst. If you want to bite, bite. If you want to tie me up, tie me up. Just tell me what you need and I’ll give it to you… I’ve probably had worse…”

Pearl, still blushing, leaned down.

“Actually.” She muttered.

“Yes?” Jasper smiled.

“I want you to do your worst.”

The big girl looked surprised.

“What’s the difference?”

“I want you to be in charge.”

Jasper sat up straight, and Pearl lost her balance, rolling off and landing next to the big girl. She laughed, squeezing her arm.

“I know it’s weird.” She said, softly. “Maybe it’s because I was raised to become future CEO… I don’t know…”

“Pearl.” Jasper said, gently stroking her face. The girl looked up. “That’s not something I can do.”

Pearl blinked, her face a mixture of confusion and disappointment.

“Why not?” She whispered. “Does it scare you?”

“No.” Jasper muttered. “And yes.”

“Why?” Pearl asked. “It seems like something you’d do…”

“I think I should be flattered…” Jasper smiled. “But it’s not really my thing. I don’t mind people doing that kind of stuff to me, I know you wouldn’t hurt me. But actually doing that to you… I’m not sure if I’d even be able to.”

Pearl hugged her knees, staring at Jasper intensely. The big girl certainly seemed to have more than one attitude when it came to them. Jasper always acted arrogantly about everything, washing it all down on a cocky manner. But when they were alone and their conversations took a turn to real talk, the big girl seemed to dial up a fluffier personality where she actually seemed to care a great deal about her. Pearl sighed, not completely taken aback.

“You’re soft.” She mumbled, a smile playing across her lips. “You won’t admit it, but you are…”

“I can break a wall if I want to.” Jasper lay down again, her hands behind her head. “I just don’t want to break you. There’s nothing soft about that.”

“You’re right.” Pearl bent down and lay her head on her chest. “I appreciate it, of course… although I’m a bit disappointed.”

“Well…” Jasper whispered, stroking her hair. “You could always break me.”

Pearl jerked her head up, smiling.

“Are you being punny?”

“Maybe.”

                                    

_"The light was soft and cozy, almost as if she were expecting a hot date."_

 

Pearl kissed her neck and Jasper closed her eyes as she felt the girl’s hands move across her body. She sighed, allowing herself to relax as Pearl moved downwards. The girl caressed her inner thighs, making her grab the sheets and bite her lip. Jasper had always known anticipation was both her pleasure and her downfall, but as Pearl’s hand moved between her folds, she realized something about this time was different. She felt dizzy and comfortable at the same time. When had she ever felt comfortable during sex? Was that even a thing? She groaned a little, allowing Pearl to discover her boundaries. What was going on? Why was everything different with her? Jasper, despite the pleasure, couldn’t allow herself to feel so helpless. She tried to move, but suddenly felt Pearl’s other hand enclose around her wrist. A little taken aback, Jasper felt she couldn’t move anymore, even if it was just one tiny hand around her thick arm. But did it bother her? The more Pearl squeezed her wrist, the greater the shocks of pleasure were.

“Jesus.” Jasper hissed as Pearl dug her nails into her arm. She stared at the girl, who stared back, a small look of superiority on her face. Jasper experienced a tingling sense around her shoulders and felt her legs go numb. All her efforts to maintain control were cast out of the window and she came onto Pearl’s caressing hand with a groan she wished she had suppressed. She pulled Pearl forward into a hug to conceal her burning cheeks.

“Well…” The girl muttered, amused.

“Don’t say anything.” Jasper growled. “Don’t.”

For a moment they remained embraced like that and Pearl closed her eyes, feeling sleepy. After a while, she collapsed next to Jasper, having dozed-off. The big girl smiled and pulled the covers around them. She let one arm out to be able to hold Pearl and held her tight, burying her nose in her hair. Up to this point she had never felt true affection for someone in so many ways and on so many levels. Pearl just felt right and she wanted to stay by her forever, or as long as she ever could.

 

*               *                *

 

At the Winkles, peace had found another meaning as nobody felt sleepy and everyone was screaming at the same time while playing Mario Kart.

“GOD DAMN IT, THIS CONTROLLER IS BUSTED!” Lapis exclaimed, shaking it frantically. “EVERY FUCKING TIME I TRY TO DO, I DON’T KNOW, ANYTHING, MY THINGY GLITCHES!”

“Maybe you should try actually playing.” Peridot muttered. “You’re shaking it too much.”

“DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”

“WATCH OUT GUYS!” Sapphire screamed. “MUSHROOM-WHATCHAMACALLITS!”

“GOD SAVE US ALL!” Akoya steered around them. “YES, VICTORY, I WASN’T HIT! I – ohhhhhhhhh…” She looked away as her kart crashed into the wall. “Damn it.”

As the race ended, they all slumped back on the couch, tired and overcome with a sense of defeat.

“We all kinda suck at this.” Lapis mumbled.

“Speak for yourself… I’m a pro.” Peridot said, through gritted teeth.

“You’re the only pro.” Sapphire laughed. “I’m so tired! I wanna sleep!”

“Go to bed then, you baby!” Lapis exclaimed.

“Lapis, chill.” Akoya stood up and stretched her back, groaning a little. “This couch always murders me…” She walked over to her phone and checked for notifications. She wasn’t surprised to see Jinju’s like on her recent selfie, but it made her happy nonetheless. “Is Pearl picking us up tomorrow?”

“No, we have to take your car.” Lapis said. “Jasper’s staying over at her place.”

“OOOOHHHH!” Sapphire exclaimed, regaining some of her energy. “Hot sex all night!”

“Jesus Christ, where did you learn that language?” Akoya seemed shocked, but Lapis burst out laughing.

“Chill, Akoya?”

“No!” Her twin moved towards Sapphire, frowning. “Don’t even joke about that, it’s pretty serious.”

“Oh, it sure is!” Sapphire was smiling. “Pearl’s all Flirtian Dior around Jasper, so…”

“That’s not even your joke…” Akoya muttered.

“Well, I haven’t seen anyone trademark that.” The small girl crossed her arms. She turned to Peridot. “Where will you be sleeping tonight?”

“What do you mean?” Peridot asked, disgruntled.

“Don’t act dumb.” Sapphire laughed. “I could make an extra bed for you… or you could join Lapis, you know how big her bed is.”

Akoya held up her hands.

“Here’s an idea! Let’s all sleep in one of the guestrooms! It’s much more fun that way!”

“Ohhh yes!” Sapphire seemed excited, and she pulled Peridot with her. “Come on, let’s go set ‘em up!”

Lapis looked at her twin as the two girls left the room in a hurry.

“What?” Akoya looked away.

“Are you trying to… you know… keep me and Peridot apart?” Lapis muttered. “’Cause it’s not gonna work.”

“You know you guys can’t be together.” Akoya sighed. “I’m just trying to protect you…”

“I know that.” Lapis mumbled. “But we really like each other and I don’t want to give up on her yet. I don’t want to be like you.”

Akoya stared at her, coldly.

“What do you mean?” She growled.

“Well, I don’t see you going after Jinju… I don’t see you trying.” Lapis said. “I f there’s anything I’ve learned this year is that I want to try.”

Akoya bit her lip as Lapis left the room. She had never heard her say anything that made more sense than that. It was a new attitude for her… that was certainly a thing… But her advice couldn’t have been more solid. As she rested her head on her pillow that night, she thought of Jinju, the only person she had ever felt attracted to. Was she such an unlucky person to have fallen for the wrong person? Or was it actually a blessing in disguise? Either way, Lapis’ words were echoing in her head: _I want to try… I want… to try… I want to try._

 

*               *                *

Jasper opened her eyes and blinked profusely at the ceiling, wondering where she was. Then, it hit her: Pearl’s room… And Pearl was sleeping next to her. The big girl smiled and stroked her pale red locks and admiring the serenity in which she slept. Pearl was breathing softly – Jasper had not yet heard her snore – and her chest was heaving up and down in a quiet rhythm; she looked so peaceful… Jasper leaned towards her and kissed her brow, making her own heart race. She sighed.

“Well.” She muttered to herself. “You’ve done it know, you hopeless idiot. You’ve gone completely over the edge for the Amaranto heiress. Of all people.”

Pearl opened her eyes and yawned, making Jasper smile again.

“What time is it?” She croaked, stretching sleepily. “Did we miss the ‘plane?”

“No, silly.” Jasper smiled. She checked the clock on the nigh table. “It’s five am, we still have like an hour.”

“Oh, good!” Pearl smiled lazily and cuddled up to Jasper, who went a little red. “C’mere, you comfy… thing.”

“I always like it when I’m being used as furniture.” Jasper chuckled, but held her against her all the same.

“I had this amazing dream…” Pearl said, softly, as she pressed her nose contra Jasper’s neck.

“Oh?” The big girl asked, resuming the caressing of her hair.

“We were in outer space…” Pearl muttered. “Well… we were in a plane and the whole class was there… and everyone seemed so happy, like… Lapis and Peridot were sitting on each other’s lap all the time. And Jinju and Akoya were getting married, or something like that… well, at the time we didn’t know yet…” Pearl smiled. “Oh I wish I could explain it exactly how I dreamt it! Anyways… so we were in the plane and suddenly we had technical problems and we were blasted in outer space!”

“Makes total sense, do go on.” Jasper laughed.

“Shut up. So we were… you know… just orbiting around and we decided to send a few people outside to restart the engines or something like that… And of course, we had space-suits… so you and me went outside and repaired the engine and then we all had like a big party and that suddenly turned into a wedding pool party or whatever, but that’s how I know Jinju and Akoya were getting married.”

“How even?” Jasper smiled.

“Well, only they could combine a wedding with outer space and a pool party.” Pearl laughed. “That’s totally how I imagine what their wedding would be like…” She smiled sadly. “You know.” She stared at Jasper, a wishful look on her face. “I’d really want for them to be together… They’re both such good leaders, Jasper… They could own the world together. Jinju is strong and daring whilst Akoya is calm and sensible… I sometimes wonder why I’m being pulled forward to be the future Main Chairwomen when they have so much potential…”

“Don’t you have what it takes?” Jasper asked. “You look pretty able.”

“You can put me in an office and I’ll do the paperwork.” Pearl sighed. “But I’m no spokeswoman… Neither is my mother; Yellow always does the talking. So yeah, I’d have to team up with them.”

“But you guys taking over the Industries… working together… that’s gonna happen anyway, isn’t it?” Jasper mumbled.

“Yes, but imagine how powerful we’d be if we were actually happy.” Pearl sighed. “We’d be unstoppable!” She stared at the big girl. “Imagine if I’d have you by my side forever… The Diamond Industries would take over the world.”

Jasper looked at the girl, a sense of warmth creeping over her heart. She hadn’t heard anyone speak to her in such a loving manor before, other than her parents. Pearl went a little pink seeing her stare and cleared her throat a little.

“Anyway…” She croaked. Jasper chuckled.

“Anyway, you love me…” She whispered.

“Don’t be stupid, love is overrated and we heiresses can’t think about it.” Pearl snapped and then she sighed. “But if I were to… you know… love you and all that… this is how I’d like to see us in a few years:…” She breathed in deeply. “I’d like to be the Main Chairwoman, but not alone. Jinju and Akoya’d be married of course, the unstoppable couple running the Industries all over the world. You and me… we’d be at the heart of the operation, managing everything but also organizing fundraisers and charity events… Sapphire could help coordinate those, she’s amazing in that section. Lapis would continue her training and become an Olympic champion, and of course, Peridot would be at her side, cheering… I don’t really know, but she seems to have a lot of potential… I see Peri turning into a doctor or something like that.” Pearl smiled. “Yes, I’d like that.” She snuggled into Jasper’s chest and placed a hand on the breast she wasn’t laying on. “Even if it were only to be able to hold _this_ every night.”

Jasper, who had been listening intensely, suddenly burst out laughing.

“Jesus Christ, Pearl.”

“The things I’d do…” Pearl smiled. “You have no idea, Jasper.”

Jasper smiled as Pearl fell asleep again and went into a peaceful slumber herself, listening to her breathing. It seemed as though they’d only been off for five minutes though, when the alarm-clock finally rang. Pearl groaned and reached over to her phone, trying to stop the ghastly sound. She rolled out of bed, worming her way out of the tangled blankets.

“ _Gon go_ get dressed.” She muttered and Jasper laughed.

“Okay.” She got out of bed as well and pulled on her favorite sweatpants and Kiss sweater. “By the way… do you have any socks?”

Pearl snorted.

“Open that drawer over there and take your pick.”

“I meant ski socks.” Jasper muttered.

“Yes, I know. That’s my ski sock drawer.” Pearl winked at her.

Jasper stared at her, incredulous, and then sighed.

“Fucking rich people.”

 

*               *                *

Vidalia yawned as she waited alongside Sour Cream and their luggage. They had arrived extra early so that she could get a hold of everyone and tick them off the list she was carrying in her hand. Sour Cream mumbled a little and stuffed his headphones on his head.

“Aren’t you grumpy.” Vidalia smiled.

“I hate being the teacher’s son.” Sour Cream turned his music louder.

“Well, we’re not _that_ much earlier…” Vidalia stared around the school yard. “Look, there’s Jenny… and Kiki! Ruby’s with them…” She started putting small marks on the list.

Soon afterwards, Kevin appeared with Lars and Sadie, all of them carrying big bags.

“Kevin had some stuff to lend us.” Sadie explained, between huffs and puffs.

“That doesn’t sound like Kevin…” Vidalia muttered. “Ah, the Diamonds. And Peridot.”

Akoya stepped out of her car, followed by Jinju, Lapis, Sapphire and Peridot. They nodded at Vidalia, who stared at them in surprise. It always amazed her how serene they all looked, walking by and quietly letting everyone know they were in their presence… even Peridot was adopting their ways… Suddenly, she frowned.

“Where’s Pearl?”

Everyone shrugged except Jinju, who pretended she hadn’t heard. Vidalia sighed… She already knew the answer.

Pearl’s car arrived shortly after and she hopped out, Jasper carrying both their bags. She tried to take hers, but the big girl held it above her head where she couldn’t reach. They too nodded at Vidalia and were ticked off the list.

“They’re banging.” Sour Cream muttered under his breath, but luckily his mother didn’t hear. Jenny elbowed him in the ribs.

“Has anyone seen Amethyst?” Vidalia walked around, checking her watch.

“She’s kinda always late.” Sadie piped up.

“Thank you, Sadie.” Vidalia mumbled.

But at that moment Amethyst came walking up the school yard, carrying a large bag and nodding at the rest.

“She doesn’t look that grumpy today…” Kiki whispered to her sister. “I mean… you two could make up…”

“Whatever, Kiki.” Jenny crossed her arms, but was surprised when Amethyst came up to them.

“Yo.” She mumbled.

“Hmmm?” Jenny frowned. Buck and Sour Cream could hardly breathe, but Kiki walked away, sighing.

“Well… It’s just… I guess I took my anger out on you while I’m mad at Jasper. You’re right… You guys are my friends too, and I took you for granted.” Amethyst scratched her head. “I hope we can be cool.”

Jenny closed her eyes, wanting to fist bump Amethyst with all her might. Her pride often got in the way of those things but at the same time, she missed her friend.

“We can be cool.” She muttered very quickly and then looked at her. “Yo, wanna watch Futurama in the bus?”

“You know it!” Amethyst grinned, and Buck shared a smile with Sour Cream.

Ruby had escaped the gang in order to say hi to Sapphire and the others. She stood next to the bubbly girl, who seemed utterly excited about going on a trip with the entire class. She was bobbing up and down, grinning broadly.

“I’m so happy!” She exclaimed.

“That’s nice…” Ruby smiled a little and her eyes twinkled.

Jinju, who was standing next to Akoya, leant towards the tall girl and whispered in her ear.

“Are you aware of those two?”

“Of course.” Akoya muttered back. “I won’t let it get far, though. One broken heart in the family is more than enough.”

Jinju chuckled.

“Don’t you mean two?”

“Why don’t you move far away from me?” Akoya hissed.

Vidalia growled as she tried to keep everyone nearby. She was pacing around frantically and cursing the fact that she was the only teacher to go. East Delmarva High couldn’t really allow the luxury of losing more than one on a field trip…

“The bus to Empire City has already arrived!” She said, pointing to the school gates where a big tour bus had just stopped in front of. “I want you to leave your big bags downstairs, but keep the rest nearby… we’ll need everything ready for the airport… has everyone brought their ID’s?”

There was a general murmur and head nodding, which made Vidalia feel a bit more reassured. She walked towards the tour bus and exchanged a couple of words with the driver. She then beckoned the class and everyone hurried towards her so they could dump their bags and get a good seat.

Jenny ran towards the back of the bus with Amethyst, Buck and Sour Cream. Whenever they went on a field trip, they always sat there with Jasper and Ruby. But now Kiki came and sit beside them and Ruby curled up next to Sapphire. Amethyst craned her neck to see where Jasper was sitting and she caught the big girl looking her way. For a moment Amethyst wondered if she’d come to the back of the bus, and she did… But not far enough. She placed herself a couple of rows in front of her and leaned against the window. Amethyst felt foolish for hoping she’d sit right in front of her… In the end, they weren’t exactly talking, were they?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Jinju and Akoya took the seats in front of her and nodded at the gang in the back. Amethyst smiled. At least they wanted to be nice…

Pearl came in as last and searched for a place to sit. She caught Peridot and Lapis hopping on a couple of seats opposite Jinju and Akoya and grimaced, knowing she had lost her usual companions to their newfound crushes. The, out of the blue, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her down on the nearest seat. Pearl turned around to see a grinning Jasper.

“Long time no see.” She muttered.

“Don’t be stupid.” Pearl couldn’t hide her smile, actually quite pleased she could sit next to Jasper. “Wanna pretend like you didn’t spend the night?”

“Shhh, people might think we banged.” Jasper winked at her. “That would be… so scandalous!”

“Oh my!” Pearl feigned shock. “Whatever should we do?”

They both burst into laughter, earning a long sigh from behind them.

“Maybe if you guys actually had sex, you’d stop thirsting for each other like that.” Jinju muttered and Akoya looked away, trying to hold her laughter.

“Oh I know for a fact that doesn’t work!” Jasper heaved her chest, but then it hit her. “I mean… you know… usually… in relationships.”

Lapis and Peridot giggled.

“YEAH RIGHT!” Peridot exclaimed. “Caaaaan you feeeeel…”

“…… the loooooove toniiiight.” Lapis continued.

“Y’all need to shut up before I throw you out of the bus.” Jasper threatened them, but Pearl was surprised at the lack of anger or embarrassment from the girl. While she herself had wanted to curl up and die, Jasper only showed a slight blush… not only that, she looked quite pleased.

“Stop being such a jock.” Pearl whispered.

“It’s okay, they’re just teasing.” Jasper flicked her nose. “It’s not exactly offensive, though. If the whole Diamond situation weren’t that complicated, I’d proudly tell everyone we did it.”

“Everyone already knows, you self-absorbed protein shake.” Jinju piped up and Akoya burst out laughing.

“Shut up, Thirstian Dior.” Jasper exclaimed. “Stop talking about sex.”

“Well, I never!” Pearl turned around to look at her friend, who hardly seemed bothered by Jasper. Instead she turned to Akoya.

“Take out your headphones… Godzilla over here won’t shut up!”

Jasper and Pearl leaned back against their seats, smiling at each other. Jasper sighed; Pearl was so beautiful. How on Earth would she manage to stay away from her… ever?

Jinju bit her lip as she listened to Akoya’s music. It was so obvious Pearl and Jasper had something going on. Oh, how she had wished it wasn’t like that… reporting all of this to her mother was going to be really hard…

The bus drove away slowly and took the exit towards the highway. Soon they would arrive at the airport and take an airplane to the Diamonds’ ski resort… In Europe… Vidalia sighed, leaning backwards into her seat. How had this year turned out to be so darn complicated?

 

… to be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: School Trip Part 2


	13. Schooltrip Part 2: Pride, Prejudice and Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The class arrives at the Ski Resort and most of the East Delmarva gang find it hard to learn the sport. New temptations arise and both Jasper and Peridot have to make a choice regarding their sex life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (NSFW alert in the illustrations)
> 
> H2Oh my Gosh! School has started again, and I though everything would be fine now, but it has pushed back my uploading capacities, not only for Diamonds but also for Pearl Meets World and this new fic I'm working at which I'll be talking about soon :) 
> 
> Anyway, here's the second part of the "School Trip Special" ans as usual, we can count with Sanne's lovely illustrations (@caspisan on Deviantart and @princessbara on Tumblr). But not only that! 
> 
> I'm VERY HAPPY to announce that I'll be adding a bonus fanart at the end of the chapter made by the awesome Hael (@haelzasdrawings on Tumblr). They drew the fundraiser scene from a previous chapter and I'm so happy with the result! (Thank you so much, you made my day! <3 ) Be sure to check them out and don't forget: fanart is ALWAYS welcome! Please. I love it.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Hope it won't take long to upload the next one D: Keep being awesome and have a wonderful day!

** Chapter Twelve **

** Schooltrip Part 2: Pride, Prejudice and Lies **

 

 **P** ink was staring out of the window of her study when a soft knock came on the door.

“Yes?” She asked, gently. Anyone who knocked could never be Yellow.

It was Blue who opened the door, and walked in quietly, sitting down in front of Pink, who looked surprised seeing her there.

“Listen.” Blue said, firmly. Her voice was kind, though. “You need to take matters into your own hands, Pink. I came and tell you this because Yellow feels you’re incapable of handling this CEO thing anymore…”

“Good morning to you too…” Pink mumbled. She could never shout at Blue; the Winkle Matriarch was just too calm and serene.

“I’m serious.” Blue whispered. “If you can’t control Pearl, we will never succeed in making her the next CEO. She needs to learn her place and you’re just letting her run wild.”

Pink felt her hands forming fists and took a deep breath. It was hard staying calm when they tried to interfere with her daughter.

“It wasn’t my idea to send them to that wretched place.” She growled.

“East Delmarva was supposed to teach them about life.” Blue sighed.

“Not that… that’s another subject…” Pink glared at Blue. “I’m talking about the resort! Why would Yellow invest money so that a group of East Delmarva High kids can go skiing? Doesn’t that sound suspicious to you?”

Blue closed her eyes, as if she were about to meditate. Then, she opened them again, looking sterner than ever.

“You do not get to question Yellow’s motives.” Blue’s voice had gone ice cold and Pink shuddered. If Yellow was scary, Blue was a Japanese horror movie.

“Is she trying to spy on my Pearl?” Pink muttered.

“Whatever’s going on… it’ll be the best for our children.” Blue mumbled.

Pink paused and for a while they could only hear the sound of distant cars on the highway. Then, she spoke.

“Do you even _believe_ that? After Jinju Ki?”

 

                                    *                    *                      *

 

Vidalia shook awake, the bus having come to a halt. She had no idea how she had even managed to fall asleep with the energetic chanting of her students behind her. Amethyst, fully interacting with the gang again, had a vast amount of “bus driver songs” which could go on for ages. The actual driver didn’t look too happy and Vidalia sighed. She wished she’d brought reinforcements.

“Mmmokay.” She muttered, mustering all the energy she could find. “We have arrived at the Empire City Airport… I’d like you to check if you’ve left anything behind, and with anything I mean the kind of things you wouldn’t want to be caught in church with. Disclaimer: if you forget any of your personal belongings, I do NOT – I repeat – I do not want to hear about it on the ‘plane to Europe.” She sighed. “Come one now, go get your bags in the hold downstairs!”

Everyone stood up and started moving towards the exits, their stuff in their hands, some – like Amethyst and Jenny – a little more enthusiastic than the rest. Pearl caught up with Jinju and Akoya on the way out and held their arms, a smile playing on her lips.

“Are you ready for this?” She grinned.

Akoya smiled too and nodded. Jinju tried to do the same but was caught in her own web of lies and hurried out of the bus, trying to hide her face.

“What’s up with _Burb-hurry_ over there?” Pearl asked, pulling a face. Akoya narrowed her eyes.

“Was that a Burberry – hurry pun you just made there?” She sighed.

“Sorry.” Pearl whispered. “I’m not really an East Delma girl after all.”

She heard a loud chuckle behind her as Lapis and Peridot got out.

“Hey Pearl!” Lapis piped up, looking at Peridot as if she were about to explode in laughter. “So you don’t think you have some East Delma in you?”

“No?” Pearl answered, confused.

Lapis nudged Peridot and the small girl adopted a seductive act.

“Would you like some?”

Akoya burst into loud giggles, accompanied by Lapis and Peridot while Pearl could hardly believe her ears.

“Did Lapis tell you to say that?” She laughed.

“Well, yes.” Peridot wiped a tear away. “We couldn’t let the opportunity go away…”

“Jesus flipping Christ, you guys.” Pearl seemed amused, though. “That’s actually something Jasper would say.”

“My bad.” The big girl’s voice came towards them as she got out of the bus as well, and she too approached Pearl, narrowing her eyes. “Want some?”

“I’M SO DONE WITH YOU GUYS!” Pearl ran away, cheeks burning. The rest laughed and Akoya eyed Jasper, suspiciously.

“You really like her, huh?” She said softly.

Jasper didn’t answer, and followed the others as they went after Vidalia. Akoya sighed and looked at Lapis.

“You guys are all playing a dangerous game.” She muttered.

“Well, aren’t you too?” Lapis mumbled. “If East Delma girls are off limits, do you think Jinju Ki is not?”

Akoya went red but Peridot came in between them.

“Don’t fight about this.” She said, serenely. “Even I don’t know if I should choose to deny my feelings now or force myself out of them when the time comes. It’s a hard decision, and for now, we’re all just pretending it doesn’t exist. And that’s okay… we’re seventeen.”

Akoya hung her head.

“Yeah.” She whispered. “Just one year before the arranged marriages.”

 

*                    *                      *

 

The main hall was busy, people streaming in and out, moving everywhere around them. Vidalia led the group towards the check-in lines but then realized they didn’t actually have to check in for a private flight. She then headed towards one of the Diamond Air information booths and the class watched as she spoke with the assistant. The woman behind the window smiled brightly and nodded at her colleague, who got out of the booth and walked towards Vidalia. She turned around and beckoned the group towards them, who followed diligently.

“So, do we get the VIP treatment?” Amethyst asked, and Jenny chuckled.

“Actually, yes.” Jinju walked by. “What did you expect?”

“Not much.” Amethyst muttered. “I haven’t actually been on a ‘plane before.”

Jinju smiled and tilted her head slightly.

“Well, then you’re in for a surprise. No economy-seat for you on your debut!” And she pointed in the direction where they were walking. Past the glass doors and already outside the building, stood a smaller-than-average aircraft that didn’t look shabby at all. The class gasped as a small cart pulled what looked like a staircase towards the door and a team started to secure it so that it could be used. A couple of air-hostesses came down, wearing the colors of the Diamond Industries. Their smiles were never-ending and more than one found it eerie.

“Why aren’t their facial muscles moving?” Jenny hissed. “They must hurt.”

“They look like Botox gone wrong.” Amethyst sneered.

The hostesses came towards the group and bowed at them, still smiling.

“Please.” One of them said, and beckoned them towards the airplane. Vidalia nodded at the class and they followed her up the steps, wondering what they were about to find. No one was really ready for the interior, though. The class gasped loudly.

The inside of the private ‘plane was decorated like a chique hotel lobby, with an actual corridor separating the doorway and the interior itself. The walls were gray and of a soft carpet-like material whilst the floor, on the other hand, was laden with a marble-colored linoleum, or something else that looked like false stone. There were no rows of seats like on a normal craft; instead, the whole area had sofas in different arrangements, with end tables, lamps and expensive carpets. The small round windows were still there, but they had large beautiful curtains to pull over them. There was no doubt that they were dealing with one of the most powerful industries in the world.

“Holy shit.” Jasper exclaimed. “Can you teach me to pull money out of my ass and get one of these?”

Vidalia made an explosive noise while the rest of the class giggled. One of the hostesses seemed to find it hard to hold composure, but Jinju narrowed her eyes and sighed.

“Our families actually worked for this.” She muttered.

“Oh yeah!” Jasper hissed back. “If I work hard, I won’t get this. Some families are just lucky.”

“Yeah.” Jinju admitted. “That too.”

The hostesses beckoned them to the sofa-seats and the class sat down for take-off. Amethyst, Jenny, Kiki, Buck, Sour Cream and Ruby placed themselves on one of the arrangements and Lars, Sadie and Kevin went to sit by the other. The GS and Peridot took another, which left Jasper standing alone, wondering where she should sit. On the one hand… the sofas had four seats so she could easily squeeze in by the gang… but on the other hand, Pearl was eyeing her suspiciously, as if she were calling her over with telepathy. Jasper sighed… she wasn’t really talking to Amethyst, so sitting with Pearl had more than one advantage… surely now that Amethyst seemed happy with the gang again and she didn’t want to dampen her spirits. The big girl moved over towards the GS and sat down next to Pearl, feeling the gang’s eyes burning in her neck.

“Well, what did you expect?” Jenny sighed. “If she likes her…”

Pearl smiled at Jasper and bend over the girl to secure her into her seatbelt. The big girl felt her cheeks burn as no one had fastened her seatbelt in a long time.

“I could… probably have done that myself.” She mumbled.

“I know.” Pearl said as she fastened her own. “Sometimes people do stuff for others, though.”

Akoya, who was sitting on the sofa opposite them, chuckled. She looked at Jinju, who was staring ahead of her, uninterested.

“So what do you think?” She whispered. “Is that true love?”

“That depends.” Jinju grunted. “Do they feel like their live is worthless and has no meaning unless our mothers somehow magically decide that we can choose our own fate?”

“Deep.” Akoya said, staring into Jinju’s honey-colored eyes. She wasn’t wearing fake eyelashes that day and in a way, they looked much brighter.

“I know.” Jinju mumbled. “Miss Ki, the philosopher.”

Akoya laughed and Jinju smiled a little, staring at the magazine in her hands. As the hostesses announced they would be ready for take off in a few, she found herself wishing she could hug Ako without there being any consequences. Without stepping into a danger zone herself.

The hostesses made a quick demonstration of the safety rules and those who had never flown before watched mesmerized at the ballet displayed in front of them which told them how to fasten their belts, put on the oxygen masks and find the life-jackets under their seats. When they were done, the engines started to purr and the ‘plane slid towards the runway, ready to go.

Ruby was the first to panic. She clung to Sour Cream as if her life depended on it and whimpered as the aircraft started to shake violently across the asphalt. Jasper felt her stomach shrink and went pale, making Pearl touch her forehead.

“Is this like the rides at Funland?” She asked. “Maybe you just get airsick.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” Jasper was a bright shade of green now. “I feel like shit.”

The aircraft went up in the air and the shaking ceased, as everything became smoother.

“Fuck, we’re upside down!” Jenny exclaimed, pointing at the window. The Earth beneath them certainly stood at a weird angle. “I can’t look!”

“Just give me something to puke in now.” Jasper sighed, leaning against her window. “I’m going to die here.”

“Oh my God.” Jinju muttered as Ruby started shrieking. “You peasants are a handful.”

Sapphire looked up at the seatbelt signs and waited patiently to see them turn off. Once they did, she stood up and sat down next to Ruby, putting an arm around her to comfort her.

“It’s okay.” She said. “This really is a very safe way of travelling. Trust me, we’ll be completely fine.”

Ruby seemed to forget her fear at once and smiled, pressed against Sapphire’s chest… That certainly felt amazing.

Pearl stood up as well and pulled Jasper up with her.

“Let’s go to the bathroom.” She sighed, and took her towards a small door at the back of the ‘plane. When they went through, Jasper couldn’t help but admire the sheer size of that thing. As far as she knew, ‘planes had small and smelly toilets, not full-sized bathrooms with a shower and an armchair.

“Fucking armchair.” Jasper grunted as she was slammed down into it. Pearl ran some water and the big girl felt a cold towel being pressed against her forehead. “Oh yeah…”

“Now breathe.” Pearl said. “And you’ll find that throwing up isn’t a necessary thing.”

“’kay.” Jasper leaned backwards and slowly but steadily felt the sickness go away. The ‘plane was flying much smoother now, thank goodness!

Pearl smiled at her and crouched down next to the armchair.

“Doesn’t that feel good?” She crooned.

“Why are you doing this?” Jasper sighed.

“Doing what?”

“You know… taking care of me all the time.” Jasper frowned. “It ain’t like you.”

It was Pearl’s time to frown.

“I disagree.” She said. “I’m very caring. Ask the GS.”

“Well, I don’t doubt it…” Jasper muttered. “I see you doing stuff for them all the time… you act motherly… it’s just… I’ve only noticed now that you’re starting to do that with me.”

“Oh.” Pearl went a little pink. She took hold of Jasper’s hand and sighed, leaning her head on the girl’s knees. “I guess I care about you, then.”

“You _tsundere_ piece of shit.” Jasper chuckled.

“I didn’t take you for an anime-girl.” Pearl smiled.

“Oh, you know… Amethyst is the one who teaches me vocabulary from everything she’s into.” Jasper sighed. “At least, she used to…”

Pearl sat quiet for a while and then looked at the big girl.

“You miss her, don’t you?”

Jasper drew the towel of her face and grimaced.

“Maybe… Like… she should just stop being stupid and just talk to me if she has a problem with something I did…” She muttered.

“Or maybe you should go to her and ask her what the problem is.” Pearl mumbled. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first person who doesn’t chase after people but I think in your case… one of you should just woman up and talk first. You know… if you want to be friends again.”

Jasper grunted and tilted her head back, staring at the way-too-chique ceiling. Pearl was right; leaving things as they were just because both of them thought the other should talk first was stupid. Pride came in the way far too fast for them. Amethyst, beyond any doubt, had a lot of trouble saying sorry or admitting to her mistakes… but then again, so had she.

The big girl got up slowly and held on to the sink for support, staring at her reflection in the small round mirror. The color was coming back to her cheeks and she sighed with relief. Airplanes really sucked…

“Well then…” Pearl came next to her and held on to her arm. “Ready to go back inside?”

“Just give me a minute.” Jasper smiled at their reflection in the mirror. “I like the sight of us.”

Pearl snorted.

“You going romantic on me now?” She chuckled.

“Not really.” Jasper grinned. “Your cleavage is showing.”

Pearl readjusted her scarf with a frown on her face.

“Oh yeah, wow! What a sight!” She muttered. “Because when I think boobs, I think me!”

Jasper snorted.

“They’re still boobs. You can’t argue with that logic.” She turned around and walked towards the door. “Shall we?”

Pearl moved past her, muttering loudly, and headed back towards her seat. Jasper smiled and sat down beside her. They had a really long flight ahead of them and Pearl would be at her side. There really wasn’t a problem with that…

The flight was certainly long. Before they crossed the Atlantic Ocean, they had to make a fuel stop so that the small ‘plane would be able to get there in one stretch. At around four in the afternoon, they were already crossing the deep blue sea below and the air-hostesses started shutting the curtains.

“What’s going on?” Kiki muttered.

“Oh great!” Lars exclaimed. “They want us to sleep now… it’s a jet-lag thing…” He crossed his arms. “I don’t wanna…”

“You don’t have to sleep, butt-head.” Jenny mumbled. “You can do whatever.”

But just ten minutes later, Lars was snoring loudly against Sadie’s shoulder. The small girl looked a little awkward but she didn’t push him away. Kevin muttered an “ugh” and he leaned to the other side, probably wishing he’d never been born. As far as the gang knew, he hated seeing people together.

“So why do we have to sleep now? I don’t get it.” Jasper whispered.

“Because we’ll be arriving there in the morning… But as the South of Europe is like eight hours forward to us, it will feel like it’s two in the morning or something.” Akoya explained. “That’s why we’re sleeping now… to get used to the other time-zone.”

“Oh, seems legit.” Jasper leaned back. “The Earth is messed up, though.”

“How do you manage to sound like a brainless jock every time you open your mouth?” Pearl sighed.

“Don’t act like that’s not your type.” Jinju muttered, flipping through her magazine.

Soon enough, everyone settled down and one by one, they fell asleep. It was a long journey and after a while, muscles felt stiff and started to ache. Jasper woke up in the middle of the darkness, never before having felt that thirsty. She tried to reach into Pearl’s bag, wondering if she had any water, but she didn’t. She was starting to ask herself if the water in the bathroom might be any good when suddenly the lights went on and the hostesses came back with large trays full of orange-juice. Jasper almost started crying from sheer joy and gulped down two of them as the rest started to wake up.

“How long have we been flying?” Ruby mumbled, her head in Sapphire’s lap. She suddenly realized where she was and got up quickly, cheeks burning. “Crap.”

“Around nine hours.” Vidalia sighed, stretching. Even luxurious ‘planes like that couldn’t hide the true cost of sitting down for so long.

“Wow! Did we cross the ocean yet?” Kiki stared out of the window as the hostesses started drawing the curtains open. “Oh… I guess not.”

Everyone looked as well and saw that daybreak had happened not that long ago and that they were indeed still flying over over the Atlantic.

“Ladies and gentleman.” The pilot’s voice came in loud and clear. “In a few moments we’ll be flying over Portugal and the south of Spain. After that, we’ll head south-east to Port Ainé.”

The sound system creaked a little as the pilot turned the mic off again and everyone stayed glued to the windows, trying to see. Even Sapphire was up and about, while the rest of the GS smiled.

“I keep forgetting none of them went to Europe before.” Lapis stared at Peridot, who was jumping up and down.

“I keep forgetting none of them have ever flown before!” Jinju stretched and got up as well. She moved next to Amethyst who was gaping at the sight below and laughed. “Are you having fun?”

“Oh yeah!” Amethyst grinned. “Of all things your mothers did, this is not the worst.”

“Yeah…” Jinju smiled sadly.

Amethyst frowned.

“What up.”

“Nothing.” Jinju looked away. “Everything’s just fine.”

But it wasn’t. Of course it wasn’t. The whole thing was just another business move, a form of bribery and also investigation. No one knew about the last except Jinju… Because this time it wasn’t something that affected others… this time it was about Pearl.

“Look!” Sadie interrupted her thoughts. “Land!”

Everyone stared down to see the dark green slopes of Portugal beneath them. It looked amazing in the morning light, but after a few minutes, the landscape began to change and everything turned red and dusty.

“Spain, everyone.” Pearl held out her hands.

“So where’s the ski-resort?” Lars asked. “There’s not much snow over here.”

“We’re flying to the North first.” Akoya explained. “At the Catalan frontier with France.”

“Literally never heard of most countries.” Lars muttered, uninterested.

“You wouldn’t.” Jinju snapped. “Places like Catalonia or Andorra for example, don’t get studied at many schools. Certainly not outside Europe, from what I’m aware of.”

“Yeah I mean… since when is Spain not in Mexico?” Ruby mumbled, making Sapphire snort and look at her with adoring eyes.

“So is the ski-resort almost in France?” Jasper asked Pearl.

“Yeah, Port Ainé is really close to the French border.” Pearl explained. “I think we can easily reach it by bus if we want to…”

“That’s nice.” Jasper grinned. “I haven’t been in France for a while.”

Pearl looked at her.

“Have you… been to Europe before?” She spluttered. “But… how? Isn’t your family… isn’t this your first time flying?”

Jasper smiled.

“How?” She asked. “My family’s Greek, remember? Most of them still live in Greece. Isn’t my family poor? Yes, we don’t have much… but when my mother was alive, we lived a little better and we managed to save up for an occasional trip to Greece. My uncle had moved to France at the time, so we travelled with family to see him as well. Is this my first time flying? Yes. My father is terrified of ‘planes, so we crossed the Atlantic on a ship. It took ages, but it were good times.” She paused and then looked at Pearl. “Sometimes people surprise you, huh?”

“No kidding.” Pearl stared at Jasper in awe. ‘Surprise’ was an understatement. But then, everything about Jasper had been surprising from the beginning.

After half an hour or so, the pilot’s voice came through to them again: they were about to land.

The scenery had changed back to dark mountains and now they could see the first snowy ones. It truly looked amazing and everyone was gaping. Even the GS smiled at the sight; it never stopped being beautiful.

“And we’re in the North.” Akoya smiled. “Hey, I might try snowboarding this year…”

“No, you won’t.” Jinju said, half a smile on her lips. “You say that every year and then you chicken out last minute.”

“Shut up.” Akoya protested, but she was grinning too. Pearl shook her head. She wasn’t sure if she preferred them pretending to hate each other or this weird married couple alternative.

The airplane landed on a neat patch in the middle of the mountains which looked suspiciously like a private airport. The suspicion was confirmed when they saw the building next to it, which clearly belonged to the Diamond Industries. There was also another bus waiting for them there, with the same logo.

Everyone got out of the ‘plane, their legs wobbly from the long flight. Even though the landing had been quite smooth, Jasper took big gulps of the outside air and felt life coming back into her. Only later did she notice how cold it was.

“Damn, what’s wrong with the air?” Jenny muttered. “Breathing hurts.”

“It’s called snow.” Vidalia moved outside to admire the mountain scenery towering above them. “Now, don’t forget your coats and shawls.”

“I feel like I wasn’t ready for this climate.” Amethyst was shivering under a denim jacket. “Also, I forgot my shawl.”

“I have a baklava I’m not using.” Sour Cream handed her a black one with bright green marihuana leaves printed on it.

“Gee thanks.” Amethyst chuckled. “I guess my face won’t fall off now.”

The class trooped towards the bus and got in, settling down in the first seats they could find. They felt tired from the flight, but were also excited about the place and the snow. Jasper let herself fall into a seat and Pearl came next to her again, pushing her legs away not too gently.

“Ow.” Jasper mumbled.

“Let me sit.” Pearl cleared the seat for herself and slumped down, sighing deeply. “It won’t take long to get there.”

The bus took of and drove across a slantering mountain road, increasing height with every turn. Jasper heaved a deep sigh and gingerly searched for a paper bag. Occasionally they would see patches of snow, but as they climbed higher and higher, the white mush was everywhere, even balancing on the tall pine-trees they could see along the way.

The bus finally arrived at a clearing where they could see a large complex of snowy mountains and a big hotel made out of wood and a black slate roof. It was so close to the slopes, you could probably see people skiing outside the windows. The bus stopped in front of the hotel, and the class got off. They were greeted by more Diamond staff at the entrance: two smart-looking ladies who were wearing neat suits.

“Aren’t they cold?” Amethyst asked.

They followed the ladies inside and the class gaped once more, as the vestibule looked very much like a luxury hotel, but instead of marble floors and pillars, everything was high-quality polished wood and fur-rugs. They followed the staff up a handsome staircase and when they arrived at the second floor, one of the members spoke directly to Jinju.

“Young Mistress, your usual suite has been prepared for you and your friends.”

The class stared open-mouthed at the GS.

“Young Mistress?” Buck snorted, but Vidalia gave him a nasty stare.

“Ah yes.” Jinju spoke back, softly. “And the rest of the class?”

“We have prepared two more suites for them upstairs.” The staff-member answered. “I will personally take them there.”

“Good.” Jinju looked at Vidalia. “And our teacher? Will she be getting her own suite?”

“That… wasn’t really in the arrangement…” The staff-member looked positively terrified. Pearl rolled her eyes at Akoya.

“Well, you know… do something about it.” Jinju raised an eyebrow. “I mean… she’s our teacher, she deserves her own suite. Now, go arrange that for her and let her take the others upstairs. We’ll find our own way.” She nodded towards the other staff-member, who bowed and beckoned the rest of the class with her, who were still busy staring at Jinju in amazement.

“I knew she was extra, but this is too much.” Jenny whispered.

“I think she’s cool.” Amethyst laughed.

Vidalia stared at Jinju as the other staff-member left as well. She was at loss for words as she had never encountered a student like Jinju before… or any of the GS members, to be honest. Jinju had more power than most people she knew, and so had Pearl, although the latter didn’t flaunt her power that often. Akoya and Lapis had royal manners and did most things perfect, but they never seemed to take any pleasure in doing them… not even in the fact that they did them so much better than anyone else… and Sapphire… she was the complete opposite… she did everything with the enthusiasm of someone reborn. Everything made her happy but what she really enjoyed was making others happy as well. Vidalia shook her head. She could never have been ready for the GS.

“Don’t feel bad.” Jinju said. “You’re our teacher, so they should have arranged a place for you. They probably thought you’d share a suite with the girls, but that really wasn’t their place to assume.”

“I could have just settled, you know.” Vidalia sighed. “What do you think teachers do on school trips? Live the luxury life?”

“Why not?” Jinju smiled. “You care about everyone, miss. You’ll help even the worst kind of people… You deserve a suite.” And with that she turned around and the others followed, leaving Vidalia waiting until the staff-member returned… to take her to her very own suite. Vidalia smiled. Jinju really was a piece of work.

“You really enjoy ordering people around…” Pearl grinned, as they walked towards their own suite.

“It’s a talent.” Jinju smiled. “You should do it more often, Pearl. You’re taking over the Industries.”

“They should let you do it instead.” Pearl sighed. “I could focus on ballet and live my life.”

“We’re all in the business, like it or not.” Akoya muttered. “And Jinju… Calling the class ‘the worst kind of people’ was just rude…”

Jinju laughed.

“To be honest, I didn’t mean them.” She muttered, a sad smile on her face.

“You didn’t?” Sapphire piped up.

“No.” Jinju answered. “To them, we’re the worst kind of people.”

All of them nodded in agreement, the truth suddenly dawning on them. They had grown close with the class over the months, but soon they’d have to leave and reality would come crashing down on everyone. It was a constant nagging thought that stayed hidden in the back of their heads.

“I hate being depressed all the time.” Pearl sighed suddenly and they all looked at her. She gulped. “I mean… let’s go into our suite, get changed and shake this thing up!”

“Yeah!” Jinju smiled. “Let’s go!”

And they disappeared through the corridor, heading towards their room.

 

                                          *                 *                  *

“WOW. THIS. IS. FUCKING. AMAZING.”

Everyone nodded in agreement at Amethyst’s choice of words. The girls-suite was really big, as if it were an actual luxury flat. It had a hallway, a living-room and several bedrooms. Amethyst ran into one of them and jumped on the king-sized bed, spreading herself out.

“I call this one!”

“We have to share, butt-head!” Jenny called back. “There aren’t that many rooms!”

“What is this, a bad fanfiction plot?” Sadie grumbled. She felt nervous being there, as she didn’t really hang out with the gang. Neither did Peridot, and she was also looking a bit pale.

“Well… kind of…” Jasper stepped forwards. “There are two rooms with a single king-sized bed and one with… two beds. So most of us are gonna have to share a bed…”

“That’s nice.” Sadie muttered. “Because we totally have the confidence to do that…”

“Please let me sleep in one of those single beds.” Peridot pleaded. “You all hate me anyway…”

“Nobody hates you.” Jasper mumbled. “I’m the one everyone’s not speaking to at the moment, so I should get a single bed.”

“Or the couch.” Amethyst said, softly.

“Or maybe I could punch you.” Jasper answered, gritting her teeth.

“Fuck this!” Jenny exclaimed. “I’m so sick of this!” She grabbed her suitcase and threw it in the other room, which also had a king-sized bed. “Kiki, we’re staying here. Peridot and Sadie, you can have the single beds! Amethyst… you share with Jasper. Maybe then you’ll talk and work this thing out, because I’m sick of your whole ‘not talking to each other’ thing.”

And with that, she slammed the door shut.

Amethyst grumbled loudly and Jasper sighed, as Peridot and Sadie quickly disappeared into the other room. She walked towards the bed and sat down next to the fuming girl.

“We might as well…” Jasper started.

“No.” Amethyst said, firmly. “I’m not going to talk to you just because Jenny says so. Stop underestimating me, I’m not your sidekick.” And with that, she disappeared into the nearby bathroom. Jasper sighed deeply. Pearl wanted them to talk it through… but there was no way that could happen easily. Now, she just had to focus on getting her ski-clothes on and walking down to the dining-room for some breakfast.

Peridot came out of her room, interrupting her train of thought.

“Where’s Ruby?”

Jasper looked up. They hadn’t noticed the small girl hadn’t been with them all this time.

“She must have disappeared when we were walking towards the suite…” Kiki said, coming out of her room. “Do you think she went to Sapphire?”

There was a knock on the door and Jasper opened it, carefully. It was Akoya, holding Ruby by the scruff of her neck.

“I think this belongs to you.” She muttered. “She was trying to sneak in.”

“Ruby!” Jasper feigned disappointment.

“Also, where’s Peridot?” Akoya looked around. “She’s supposed to be staying with us!”

“REALLY?” Peridot ran towards the doors with her suitcase, dropping stuff on her way.

“Keep your bra on.” Akoya sighed. “This suite fits six people, and you hang out with us anyway. You can share a room with Sapphire.”

“Yeah… Sapphire…” Jenny mumbled under her breath.

Peridot ran out to the corridor and Akoya followed her with her elegant walk. Jasper hung her head out of the room.

“Can I come too?” She called out after her, but Akoya flipped her the bird without bothering to turn around. Jasper frowned. “HEY, I’M BANGING SOMEONE TOO!” She shouted, and then turned back towards the others. “This is discrimination. Isn’t this discrimination?”

“Yeah.” Ruby growled.

Amethyst, who had been chilling on one of the living-room sofas, let out a long sigh.

“You know… I can’t seem to figure it out.” She said, looking directly at Jasper, for the first time in a while.

“What?” The big girl asked, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.

“Is she your latest booty-call? Or do you love her?” Amethyst stood up and walked back towards their room. “No, don’t answer. I don’t expect you to tell me the truth anyway.”

Jenny and Kiki shared a look and the first took hold of her sister once again.

“We’re going down to breakfast.” She said. “Jasper and Ruby, you should get changed. I heard we’re going skiing right after.” And they walked out, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind.

“Dude.” Ruby muttered after a while. “What happened between you and Amethyst?”

Jasper shook her head.

“I could tell you I missed a couple of phone calls, but at this moment, it has gone far beyond my memory… not because I’m not interested or I don’t miss her… there’s just a lot of stuff going on.”

“Hmm… I get it.” Ruby mumbled. She looked up at Jasper. “Life didn’t exactly get easier when the GS arrived, did it?”

“No, no it didn’t.” Jasper opened her suitcase which was still laying around in the living-room and pulled out her clothes. She started changing, a solemn look on her face.

“Usually in a story, people grow together when faced with a common enemy.” Ruby piped up, as if she were reciting some text book. “But this situation just tore us apart, didn’t it?”

“It sure did, Ruby.” Jasper pulled on her ski pants and looked at her. “Is there something you want to say?”

Ruby looked away.

“We can’t really like the GS, can we?”

Jasper sat down on one of the sofas and stared at her, blankly.

“Why are you asking me?” She muttered, suddenly irritated. “You’ve literally never come to me about dating advice… or anything for that matter…”

“That’s just…” Ruby gulped. “It’s not been easy talking to you… you just gave orders. You don’t anymore and you’re dating Pearl, so right now… you’re approachable?”

Jasper stood up again and face palmed.

“First of all, I’m not dating Pearl.” She growled. “And Jesus, why is everyone being so insistent about me having changed? I haven’t changed, okay? I’m the same as before! I didn’t have to give orders, you followed me!” She clenched her fists.

“Well, it sure seems like you’re dating Pearl.” Ruby mumbled.

“WE JUST HAD SEX!” Jasper shouted. “WE’VE HAD LOTS OF SEX!”

Ruby looked away embarrassed and the big girl turned slowly towards the door and then froze on the spot. Lapis was standing in the opening.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, the blue-haired girl let out a sigh.

“Congrats.” She said, dryly. “I came to tell you that Vidalia wants everyone downstairs for breakfast. Now.” And she walked away, leaving Jasper dying inside.

“Great.” The big girl muttered. “Ruby, get dressed already!”

The cafeteria downstairs looked more like a fancy dining hall than a messy après ski hut.  There were a couple of long wooden tables for large groups but most of the space was filled with neat round tables with shiny white tablecloths and flower vases in the middle. Instead of a buffet, waiters were strolling around the place, serving people here and there.

Jasper and Ruby sat down at one of the larger tables, where the rest of the class was waiting. Vidalia was there too, and she was being served some toast with a fancy-looking omelet. Jasper’s eyes fell on Pearl, who seemed strangely far away after having spent an entire flight together. She was seated between the Winkle twins, smiling absent-minded at her toast. Suddenly, she looked up and stared back, making Jasper choke on her orange-juice. The big girl looked away, wondering how Pearl could have so much power over her.

Ruby was right, in a way… she had changed, and change had made her weak. She was now feeling things she had closed the door to many years ago. But now she had opened it ajar and the damage had been done.

“So, skiing-classes have been arranged for those who can’t ski.” Vidalia said, checking the schedule she had printed out previously. “… and those who actually know how to… you’re free to do whatever…”

“Yay.” Amethyst mumbled. “Classes.”

“Only in the mornings.” Vidalia smiled. “After lunch, it’s freedom for you. Now, I want you to raise your hands if you’ve never skied before.”

The entire East Delmarva gang except Kevin, Buck, Sadie and Lars, raised their hands. Vidalia sighed.

“Okay… Jasper, Amethyst, Ruby, Jenny, Kiki, Peridot and Sour Cream.” She muttered. “You have a class.”

The group left the dining room muttering loudly as the others followed them, a slight snigger on their face. They headed towards a small cabin next to the hotel, which led to the ski-lift. The class watched in horror as it consisted of a small iron bench with a bar in front of it where people just seemed to drop into so that they could get swept off their feet… literally.

“I’m not getting on that thing.” Jasper looked around her. “I’ll be fine down here, I promise.”

Vidalia went into the cabin and came out with a man who started handing out pairs of skis and ski-boots. Already fully-equipped, Kevin received permission to go up in the lift, so he sat down on one of the chairs with Lars and Sadie. The class watched them go up, sweating nervously.

“Well…” Pearl clicked her skis on neatly, in front of Jasper. “Wanna ride with me?”

“I…” Jasper croaked.

“The ones who don’t know how to ski yet, can go up in ski-boots.” The cabin-man said, suddenly. “You can hire skis up there too.”

“Good, that’s settled then…” Vidalia pulled Ruby and Sour Cream with her, and they too disappeared up the mountain. Amethyst hopped on with Jenny and Kiki and Buck jumped in on his own.

“I guess you’ll have to ride with someone else.” Pearl headed towards the lift. “Otherwise we might bump in to each other, as I’m wearing skis and you’ll probably fall trying to get out – no offence, most people do the first time…” She turned to Peridot. “You take care of Jasper, now. She’s not so good with moving things or heights.”

Akoya, Lapis and Sapphire took the next seat and Pearl moved along with Jinju to hop on the one behind.

“Come, Jasper…” Peridot took the big girl’s hand and they headed towards the spot where they had to wait. The seat turned around the big iron wheel above and came soaring towards them, hardly giving them time to breathe. They sat down and felt their bottoms smack against the cold hard metal. Both of them put their hands up and pulled the iron bar down, giving them some protection. The seat started pulling them up the mountain, hardly swinging at all.

“Well, this isn’t so bad.” Jasper smiled, swinging her legs gingerly. “I could totally get used to this.”

But then the seat reached the top of the mountain and instead of reaching what they thought was the final stop, it leaped over the top and started crossing a valley, many feet below. Jasper let out a loud yelp and held the bar with an iron grip.

Pearl turned around, looking at the seats behind them.

“Oh, I hope she’s alright.” She mumbled. “She looks terrified.”

“Maybe you should have gone with her.” Jinju muttered. “You know, if you care so much.”

“Just look at her.” Pearl bit her lip. “It’s like she wants to jump down.”

“Don’t worry, she looks pretty petrified to me.” Jinju smiled. “I’m looking forward to her attempting to get out of the lift soon.”

Pearl shook her head, trying to block out Jasper’s shouts of fear. She hoped it wasn’t going to be like that all week…

Meanwhile Peridot was trying to calm Jasper down.

“You know, statistically… most accidents happen on the skis themselves… and we’re not wearing any.” She said.

“THIS IS TOO HIGH! I DON’T WANT THIS!” Jasper stayed curled up in a ball. “If I move, I die…”

“You won’t die… look! We’re approaching the other mountain!” Peridot exclaimed. “Almost there, Jasper… we’ll be climbing again!”

“I WANT THIS TO STOP!”

“It will! It will, I promise!” Peridot said. “Look, why don’t you sing a song or something? I’ll sing it with you! Just distract yourself from the height!”

“Yeah… okay…” Jasper croaked. She heaved her chest and splurged out a few lyrics:

 

 _I really love you baby_  
I love what you've got  
Let's get together, we can  
Get hot

“Oh God…” Peridot sighed. “Fine.” And she joined in, bellowing Kiss at the top of her lungs, alongside Jasper:

 

 _No more tomorrow, baby_  
Time is today  
Girl, I can make you feel  
Okay

Pearl smiled as she heard them singing behind her and she turned to Jinju, cheeks glowing.

“Bitch, no. I’m not joining in.” The sandy-haired girl muttered. “The entire mountain is like… watching.”

A few skiers down below were waving at them and some were even singing along with Jasper and Peridot.

“It’s just…” Pearl laughed. “… refreshing. Don’t you think?”

                               

_"Girl, I can make you feel okay."_

 

But the ski-lift jerked up again and this time it had reached its destination. Jasper and Peridot stopped singing abruptly as they watched everyone get off neatly enough. Pearl and Jinju simply skied off elegantly and then it was their turn.

“So… we run?” Peridot muttered.

“Yeah like… I go left, you go right.” Jasper answered.

“What right? Your right or my right?” Peridot asked, getting more nervous by the minute.

“What right could it be? Jesus! That way!” Jasper pointed at both their right and they slammed up the iron bar. They got up and tried to run towards the sides but ended up slipping. Luckily, there were members of the staff waiting at either side to pull people away from the seats and so they did. Peridot and Jasper both collapsed next to another small cabin, where the others were waiting. As they slumped down, some snow from the roof fell off and dropped on their head.

“I am never doing this again.” Jasper stated.

 

                                          *              *                *

Vidalia was helping the rookies in the class with their skis when Jasper and Peridot finally arrived. Pearl and Jinju had followed the other GS to the slopes, where they were probably having fun by now.

“Come on, I have skis for you right here.” Vidalia smiled, handing them a pair of grey and blue ones. They were heavier than they expected and Peridot fell over, landing in the snow. Vidalia chuckled.

“Here, let me help you.” She bent down and placed Peridot’s feet in the skis, helping her up afterwards. Then, she turned to Jasper.

“I’m fine.” The big girl muttered.

“Okay then…” Vidalia pointed at the direction where the rest of the class were waiting, in a group. “Down this slope you go. The class will start there.” And she skied elegantly down there. Peridot sighed.

“Here goes nothing.” She muttered, and kicked off with her sticks in the same direction as Vidalia. Jasper watched her ski off the small slope and crash into Amethyst, who went into a rampage. The big girl sighed, and clicked her own skis on, ready to set off as well, but somehow leaned her body towards the other side and the slope, which forked off into a bigger slope at the right, suddenly became a battlefield of peril. Jasper watched in horror as she passed her class on the left and kept on sliding downwards, under the ski lift they had ridden on before.

“FUCK! FUUUUCK! FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!” She exclaimed. “WHAT DO I DO?”

“JUST SIT DOOOOOWN!!” Vidalia yelled after her.

“OH YEAH! THAT’S GREAT!” Jasper shouted back. “SIT DOWN; WHY NOT!”

She crouched and lost her balance, tumbling downhill a few feet. When she finally stopped, she looked up and felt the snow in her hair fall into her neck.

“GOD DAMN IT!” She exclaimed, shaking it off. “WHO THE FUCK INVENTED THIS SHIT?”

“Jasper, are you okay?” Vidalia asked, from above.

“I guess…?” Jasper answered.

“Okay, then stop acting like an idiot and come back up here. The instructor has arrived.” Vidalia said.

With a very loud sigh, Jasper clicked her skis off and started the heavy descent towards the fork in the road that had thrown her off course in the first place. What a drag!

Much further up the mountain, a very different scenario was taking place. Pearl felt every muscle in her face tension up as she sped off the slope, Jinju at her tail. Both trained to be highly competitive, the latter was kind of better at sports. But Pearl had a great stamina, in part thanks to ballet, so on the lane, neck to neck, that evened it out.

Not far behind, the Winkle sisters were taking a break. Akoya had wanted to stop so she could re-fasten her ski-boots and the others had decided to wait. Lapis sighed, standing against a tree.

“I’m bored.” She muttered. “Skiing isn’t that great.”

“Don’t you dare go off-route again like you did last year.” Akoya muttered angrily. “You scared the shit out of all of us.”

“Sorry, but the wild mountain is so much better…” Lapis looked at Sapphire, who didn’t seem as bright and happy as usual. “What’s up with you? Why are you all Gianni Versace?” She sniggered. “Get it? Ver-SAD-ce!”

“We fucking get it, Lapis.” Akoya growled. “It’s not funny when it doesn’t come from the East Delma gang.” She turned to Sapphire. “But yeah, what’s wrong?”

Sapphire let out a long sigh.

“It’s just… I miss Peridot and the others.” She mumbled, earning stares of surprise from her sisters. “You know… you’re twins, you have each other… Pearl and Jinju are best friends… I’ve always kinda been the fifth wheel… the spare tire…. Not that you’ve ever made me feel left out!” She added quickly. “What I mean is… Peridot and some of the others are really good friends. I wish I could share suites with them, or ski with them…” She looked away. “I love you guys, but… you’re family.”

Akoya smiled and unclicked her skis, sitting down next to her sister.

“I understand.” She smiled, gently. “But Peridot’s staying with us in the suite, that’s nice, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Sapphire smiled. “But…”

“But Ruby isn’t.” Lapis sighed. She too came and sit with them. “You really like her, huh?”

Sapphire nodded.

“I think she likes me too.”

Lapis and Akoya shared a look of concern.

“We told you not to let it go too far.” Akoya sighed. “You don’t wanna end up like us.”

“I just want to be near her.” Sapphire sighed. “Is that so hard to understand?”

“It is for the Diamond Industries.” Lapis stood up. “Aren’t those Pearl and Jinju in the ski-lift above?”

They all looked up and saw their friends waving at them.

“Wow, they went down fast.” Akoya smiled. She turned to Sapphire. “Do you want to ski off the mountain?”

Sapphire nodded, and they took off with Lapis, who muttered something about being bored again. Akoya shrugged as she sped downhill; Lapis might not have known it, but she had the same problem as Sapphire.

The class met up at the cabin at the foot of the mountain during lunchtime, and Vidalia looked amused at the different reactions. Most students seemed really tired… they had just flown in that very morning, so she understood. Other seemed quite happy, like Kevin and Lars. Somehow, they had enjoyed the day immensely.

“Okay, so who’s missing?” Vidalia looked around. “We’re not complete.”

“Peridot and Jasper aren’t back yet.” Jenny explained. “They got held back in the line for the ski-lift.”

“And the GS aren’t back either…” Ruby mumbled, but then she looked up as they all heard the sound of sliding snow. “Oh wait, never mind.”

The first to ski down the slope and swirl elegantly towards the cabin was Jinju, and shortly after, came Pearl. They were laughing.

“Oh good, where’s the rest?” Vidalia asked. Pearl pointed at the slope and the other three came swirling down, just as skilfully. They handed their skis to the man at the cabin and turned towards Vidalia, smiles on their faces.

“Hi.” Akoya muttered, pushing her sunglasses up. Her cheeks were red from the Sun and the cold and Jinju found herself letting out a smile which she swiftly concealed.

“ _‘Orright_ , now we just need Jasper and Peridot.” Vidalia started saying, but then her eyes fell on the ski lift. “Oh, never mind…”

Jasper and Peridot were almost touching the ground and seemed to be in great distress. The class could hear their shouting from the veranda of the cabin.

“What the flip is going on there?” Sapphire squinted in order to see better.

“Dunno man.” Buck seemed fairly amused. “But I’m recording this.” And he took out his phone.

The class watched as the pair threw the bar up and attempted to get out. Peridot managed to run into the snow and fell down on her backside, but Jasper tripped over a mountain of snow that had turned into ice and fell flat on her face. She started crawling like a snake in order to get away from the lift and rolled around in the snow until she too had reached the cabin. She stared at the class.

“What.” She grumbled.

Pearl let out a snort of laughter and everyone turned towards her, a little shocked. Moments like this, nobody wanted to be against Jasper.

“Tone it down.” Jenny hissed. “You don’t want to see her mad.”

“I’m sorry, it was funny.” Pearl smiled at Jasper. “I didn’t mean it like that, but God… you fell on your face, it was hilarious.”

The class winced, knowing Pearl was a goner this time. But to their great surprise, Jasper laughed too. She walked up to the red-haired girl and with a smooth movement of her hand, swiped some snow of her head.

“Maybe, instead of laughing, you could teach me to ski. The instructor was useless.” She said, in a low voice. Pearl bit her lip and nodded, her cheeks turning red.

“Wow.” Ruby whispered. “I know they’re banging but it keeps being weird how different Jasper acts when she’s with her.”

“No kidding.” Sapphire answered. “And every time Jasper talks to her, Pearl kind of collapses.”

As the class was free to do what they wanted after lunch, most of them retired to the suites to get some rest. It was getting chillier by the hour and they took turns exploring the premises and finding comfortable spots to hang.

Peridot started unpacking her suitcase, as she hadn’t had time before breakfast. She had been put in a room with two beds, in order for her to share with Sapphire and it had a wardrobe big enough to hold the clothes of a whole family. The small girl was hanging up her sweaters when she heard a knock on the door.

“Come in?” She mumbled and the door opened, revealing a serene Lapis. She was wearing a comfortable sweatshirt and had removed all of her makeup, as if she were ready for bed.

“Hi.” She said, softly.

“Hey.” Peridot muttered, going a little red. “You wearing PJ’s?”

“Just sweatpants. I do that. At home.” Lapis smiled. “This is who I am most of the time, I though I should let you know.”

Peridot stood up, cheeks still burning.

“Well, I don’t really see a difference.” She muttered.

“Don’t lie, I look like a skull.” Lapis hopped towards her and rubbed her face. “Not at all like you… you never wear makeup and you look adorable. What’s your secret?”

Peridot laughed.

“Never wearing makeup? I guess? I can only look better, not worse.”

Lapis laughed too. She sat down on Peridot’s bed and curled up in a ball, resting her hand on the pile of clothes that had been left there, ready to go into the closet.

“They smell like your room.” She mumbled.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s nice.” Lapis sighed. “Like cinnamon and milk and… latkes.” She giggled. “I’m kidding, it’s just…” She sat up and looked at the small girl, eyes sparkling. “… it was really fun at your house that one time.”

Peridot felt her heart beat faster. She wasn’t sure what Lapis meant… was she talking about breakfast with her mother or the night before?

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that.” Lapis bit her lip. “Like that was amazing, not gonna lie…” She actually blushed a little. “But I meant the coziness of your house… not that the other thing wasn’t great, but you know, it’s not the only thing I’ve been thinking about… these weeks…” She closed her eyes and lay back down on the bed. “Maybe a little.” She confessed. “Or a lot. I don’t know.” She looked at Peridot again. “Do you… ever think about it? That night?”

Peridot dropped the sweater she’d been about to hang up in the wardrobe.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!” Lapis jumped off the bed and ran out of the room, leaving Peridot blushing and with her heart almost out of her chest. When Sapphire came in, moments later, she found her exactly like that.

“So… did something happen?” She asked, frowning.

“I don’t know who I am anymore.” Peridot sat down on the floor. “Do you ever feel like you want to do something with someone but you don’t really know how to… you know… start it? Even though you already have? But technically, it’s still weird?” She gulped. “I’m… uh… asking for a friend.”

Sapphire face palmed and walked backwards out of the room.

“Please don’t talk about having sex with my sister.” She muttered, and disappeared as well, leaving Peridot feeling ashamed. Sapphire was her only friend, what did she expect? It wasn’t her fault she and Lapis were sisters…

Meanwhile, Jasper was laying on her bed, wondering how she – an athletic person – could have that many aching muscles. What was going on? Was Pearl making her soft? She got up with a groan and pulled off her shirt to look in the bathroom mirror. She prodded her biceps gently, to see if they were just as toned as usual. There didn’t seem to be an actual difference, skiing was probably just really hard.

“What are you doing?”

Jasper turned around sharply to find a frowning Amethyst behind her.

“Nothing?” She pulled her sweater on and looked at her. “Are you speaking to me again?”

“No, I just wanted to take a dump but you were in the bathroom standing in your bra.” Amethyst moved inside and closed the door as Jasper went out.

“For the record, you’re being childish!” The big girl shouted through the thick wood.

“Whatever.” Amethyst answered, and Jasper stormed-off into the living room, where she found Pearl sitting on the sofa with Jenny, Kiki, Ruby and Sadie.

“Oh hi.” She said. “I was just telling the girls about the hotel hot springs, but Amethyst said something about taking a dump…” She smiled. “Do you want to join us?”

Jasper raised an eyebrow.

“Hot springs?”

“You know, hot water baths…?” Pearl laughed. “We’re going there to relax our painful muscles and I thought you guys would like to come too.”

“Yeah, I could go.” Jasper stretched, trying to hide the pain on her face.

“Good.” Pearl smiled. “Put on your swimsuits and bathrobes and meet me in the lobby in fifteen minutes.”

And she left, allowing Jasper to stop flexing and crumbling up on the floor.

“What’s with you?” Jenny asked.

“My muscles hurt…” Jasper whimpered.

“Wow. Fancy you saying that.” Kiki stood up. “Let’s get changed, guys, I really want to go to the hot springs!”

Jenny crouched down next to Jasper as the others went to put on their swimsuits. She stared at the big girl for a while and then poked her head with her finger.

“You know…” She said. “If I were you, I’d get two things done today. Make up with Amethyst and do Pearl.”

Jasper got up as Jenny left and walked into her room, muttering loudly. Amethyst had just changed into her bikini and scowled as the big girl entered.

“Oh, are you going too?” Jasper asked, hunting through her bag for her own swimsuit. She had found one just her size at a second hand store a few days ago.

“Yes, I’m going too. I also exist.” Amethyst said dryly, and put on her bathrobe, a sour look on her face.

“Well, why don’t we… talk?” Jasper pulled her sweater off and unhooked her bra, swinging her bikini top over her shoulders.

“Because, frankly, I don’t want to.” Amethyst left the room again and Jasper sighed. She finished changing and also pulled on a bathrobe, ready to go. She joined the others and together they marched off to the lobby, where Pearl was waiting with the others. She smiled cheerfully.

“It’s this way.” She pointed through a door that led to the complex’s swimming pool, and they walked past it until they reached another door. It opened to a rocky ledge outside the building with steaming pools cut in the stone. Several decorative plants made it look like some kind of exotic jungle, but that effect was highlighted thanks to the steam coming from the water itself. Pearl dropped her bathrobe on the floor and kicked off her heels, walking elegantly into the pool. The East Delma girls let out a loud gasp.

“Why is she naked?” Jenny asked.

“No idea man, I can’t watch this.” Amethyst looked away, cheeks burning.

Jasper stood by, wondering if this was real. Pearl, now fully covered by the steamy water, beckoned them in.

“You can keep your swimsuits on.” She smiled, seeing their confused faces. “It’s just… we never do. This particular hot spring is our personal bathing-zone… no one else comes here.”

As she spoke, Jinju and Akoya also revealed their naked bodies and hopped in, smiling at the others’ confusion. Lapis sighed and did the same. As for Sapphire, she got in really quickly, her face red as a beetroot.

“Well.” Jasper grinned. “Why the hell not.” She tore off her bikini top and plunged in, disappearing into the steam. Jenny shrugged and followed her, inspiring the others to join. In the end, only Peridot went in wearing her bathing suit, much to Lapis’ dismay.

Pearl swam towards Jasper, a smile on her face.

“You came.” She grinned.

“Not yet.” Jasper winked at her. “But I could, maybe later…”

“Oh God!” Pearl poked her cheek. “You’re such an idiot.”

“You know you like it.” Jasper smiled.

“Stop playing mind games.” Pearl turned to swim away. Then she looked back at Jasper, cheeks burning. “Meet me here tonight.” She whispered. “I will text you.”

The big girl plunged underwater to hide her own flushed cheeks and when she came back up, Pearl was all the way back to Jinju. Had she heard correctly? Were they meeting later that night? How on Earth did she let herself get into such situations? What would her father think?

Meanwhile, Peridot was finding it very hard to know where it was safe to look. Amethyst had started a game of tag and for some reason most had joined in, splashing around wildly. The small girl swam towards the edge of the pool and gasped for some air, as it was really hot.

“Hey.” Sapphire came next to her and grinned. “Feeling overwhelmed?”

“A bit…” Peridot sighed. “Sorry about earlier… I keep forgetting Lapis is actually your sister.”

“It’s okay.” Sapphire sighed. “I’m just not the right person to talk to… but I know someone who is…” She pointed at Jasper, who was chilling at the far end of the pool. She had her arms on the rocky ledge, leaving little to the imagination.

“Great.” Peridot muttered. “Hey Jasper, can you give me some sex advice as you’re laying there naked?”

Sapphire snorted and almost went underwater laughing.

“She’ll understand…” She smiled. “Just go to her.”

“Fine.” Peridot swam towards Jasper, dodging a wild Jenny, and the big girl looked up.

“Hey Peri.”

“Hey Jasper.”

“Want something?” Jasper yawned. “All this steam is making me sleepy.”

“Same…” Peridot mumbled. “I can hardly breathe.”

“That too.” Jasper looked at her. “I have the feeling you’re here for a conversation. Is it about Amethyst? I’m sick of people talking about Amethyst.”

“It’s not about Amethyst.” Peridot sighed. “I don’t really know how to begin…”

“You can talk to me.” Jasper smiled. “It’s okay.”

Peridot let out another sigh and drew closer, mortified that anyone would hear. The big girl raised an eyebrow, wondering what it was all about.

“How do you… you know… with someone?” She whispered.

“Do what with someone?” Jasper frowned, but then she saw Peridot blushing feverently. “Ooooh… sex.”

“Shhhhh!” Peridot whimpered.

“Sorry.” Jasper snorted. “I thought you already banged…”

“Shhhh!” Peridot sissed aggressively. “That’s not the point!”

“Then what’s the problem?” Jasper tried to hide her smile.

“How do you do it again?” Peridot muttered. “We only did it once and it was a special occasion… I mean… it just happened. But it hasn’t happened since…”

“Well…” Jasper frowned. “You were going through this whole thing where you didn’t want to risk falling in love…. It’s only natural that you waited…” She looked at Peridot. “That one time – it’s like you said – it ‘just happened’… don’t see it as a scheduled appointment, it has to flow…”

“Yeah, I get that.” Peridot hissed. “But I think she wants to… and I want to… But whenever I go over to her house, it’s weird… I’m Sapphire’s friend, you know, I can’t just sleep with Lapis…”

Jasper chuckled.

“Are you sure she wants to? Did she give you any signs?” She asked.

“Well…” Peridot muttered. “She often grabs my hand and she has kissed me a few times.” The small girl turned red. “We even slept together once… you know, just holding each other?”

“You guys are cute…” Jasper frowned, thinking of her own experiences. “I don’t really think about sex when I’m holding someone… it’s like a completely different thing for me.”

It was Peridot’s turn to chuckle.

“It’s not like I think about it all the time… But what you’re saying is quite interesting.” She smiled. “There’s a difference for you between sex and love?”

“In a way…” Jasper looked up. “I don’t really see sex as an important factor when you love someone… but I also really like sex… so I tend to separate the two things… that way I can bang someone without getting close to them but I can also respect the person I love.”

“Wow.” Peridot said. “So you’re trying to… not get close to Pearl?”

“Pearl’s my exception.” Jasper confessed. “I can’t think straight when she’s around… but if you tell anyone, I will personally throw you off the nearest mountain.”

“I won’t.” Peridot laughed. “I came for advice.”

“Well, this is what I’m giving you.” Jasper smiled. “Find a certain place where you can be alone, a certain moment when you both have time… and just do it. But if I were you, I’d prepare it well.”

“I’m listening.” Peridot whispered.

“Make her wait.” Jasper narrowed her eyes. “And when you’re ready, lead the way.”

Peridot’s eyes widened and she nodded.

“Seduce her.” Jasper finished, curtly. Peridot snorted.

“I’ll try? Thanks, Jasper.”

“You’re welcome.” The big girl sniggered. “You learned from the best.”

                                 

_"I thought you already banged..."_

 

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful enough. Most of the class lounged around in the suite, just relaxing or drinking hot cocoa from the machine downstairs. Soon it was time for dinner, and they scattered around the long table in the canteen, waiting for their hot meal. Both Jasper and Peridot were in complete tension during that hour, both for similar reasons. Jasper felt nervous about her ‘date’ with Pearl, as the red-haired girl kept looking at her and winking. Peridot was trying really hard to come up with a way to let Lapis know what she wanted without seeming desperate. But for the small girl who had never dated in her life, that was proving to be exceptionally difficult…

As they were bringing their empty trays to the carts, Lapis moved next to Peridot and smiled at her, making her knees shake. But the small girl knew she had to take action and stood her ground, firmly.

“Hey.” She said, narrowing her eyes like Jasper did. Lapis seemed a little taken aback but her smile didn’t fade.

“Hey.” She answered, casually. “I like your sweater.”

Peridot looked down at her fluffy kitten sweater and sighed on the inside. What was she even trying to do? How could she think of seducing someone with a fluffy kitten sweater? She had to try again.

“You can take it off…” She mumbled. “You know… to try it on… Or something.” She went red. What was she saying? “Oh God, sorry… what I meant…”

But Lapis was holding the cart, shaking with laughter. She wiped a tear away and stared at Peridot.

“Oh my God.” She said. “This was amazing. I’ll see you later.” And she walked out of the dining-room, still laughing. Peridot sighed. Why couldn’t she just be cool like Jasper? She turned towards the big girl, who was bringing her own tray and Pearl’s towards the carts.

“Wow, you’re so strong.” Pearl muttered, sarcastically.

“I lift empty trays every day… But two at the same time… this is definitely my record.” Jasper grinned, following the joke.

“That’s because I’m watching…” Pearl winked at her. “How much could you lift if I were to…?” She leant into her ear and whispered something Peridot couldn’t hear. Jasper smiled.

“I could probably lift all the carts and throw them out the window and probably punch a hole in the wall… you know… if you were to do that.” The big girl said, blushing a little; but she remained calm. Peridot sighed… right there, exactly that… that was what she lacked.

Everyone went upstairs to the rooms, quite tired after the intensive day. Kiki and Sadie went to sleep almost immediately, whilst others, like Sour Cream, just crashed on the sofas. Amethyst and Jenny joined Buck on one of the balconies to throw a small party of their own and the GS sat quietly in their suite, reading magazines and checking their phones. Ruby had joined them, and was taking turns playing a game on Sapphire’s tablet. Peridot was sitting opposite them, wondering what part of her existence in the GS was valid if Sapphire wasn’t paying attention to her, but she turned to look at Lapis, who was fidgeting with her laptop on the floor. Peridot took a deep breath and walked towards her, crouching down next to her.

“Watcha doin’?” She asked, softly. Lapis spun round and smiled.

“I’m trying to charge my laptop, but the charger won’t fit into the hole, it’s really annoying…” She said.

“Let me take a look.” Peridot picked up the laptop and peeked into the charger outlet, wondering what was wrong. There was some dirt in there, but she couldn’t quite reach it. “This is why I don’t like Apple.” She mumbled. “These magnet chargers cause a lot of problems, because if dirt does get into the outlet, the charger won’t go in anymore.” She took a small pot of toothpicks out of her pocket and started scraping the dirt out. “If I can just get this to go, the charger will fit in perfectly again… hold on… nearly there…” She looked up at Lapis. “Done! Now give me the charger.”

The blue-haired girl obeyed and Peridot connected the computer to the power. It clicked in perfectly and Lapis sat up straight.

“Oh my god, Peridot, you fixed it!” She exclaimed, eyes shining. “That’s amazing, I thought I’d have to buy a new laptop…”

“Oh Lord…” Peridot sighed. “It’s not like I repaired it… I just scraped the dirt off, see?” She showed her the tooth-pick.

“Why do you carry that around?” Lapis asked, distracted.

“My dentist…” Peridot started. “Never mind, dentist things.” She looked away, embarrassed.

“Well, anyway… thanks for fixing this. It was nice of you and also really cool.” Lapis winked at her.

“Yeah, you know… I’m here for you and your needs.” Peridot stood up and winked back, walking towards the sofa. She had no idea if her flirting had worked this time, but she decided it wasn’t a good idea to linger and find out. Lapis, however, felt her face go red as she watched Peridot curl up on the sofa. Had the small girl just hinted at something? Her whole ‘I’m a charmer now’ attitude was growing on her. She wondered if the East Delma gang had anything to do with it.

 

                                 *                     *                     *

Jasper was laying in bed when her phone buzzed. Almost everyone had gone to sleep around nine, as the day had been so intense. Amethyst hadn’t joined her and the big girl wondered if she was still out there partying with Jenny. But as she got out of her room, she found the girl sleeping on a sofa.

“You’re that mad, huh?” She whispered.

Jasper checked her phone and it was indeed Pearl who had texted her:

 

_Join me at the hot springs. P._

The big girl pulled on her bathrobe and found her way towards the lobby, where she turned towards the door that led to the swimming pool. She crossed the premises and headed for the private balcony where the GS had their own hot spring. She knocked on the door and Pearl opened it, letting her through. Jasper felt her heart beat fast as she saw the girl turning the lock. She was also wearing her bathrobe and had let her hair lose for the occasion.

“Hey.” She said, a soft smile playing on her lips.

“Hey.” Jasper walked towards her caressed her hair.

“Wanna get into the water?” Pearl asked, holding the rim of Jasper’s bathrobe and pulling the big girl towards her.

“After you.” Jasper loosened Pearl’s bathrobe, a grin on her face. She drew her arms underneath and held her waist, leaning in to kiss her. Pearl closed her eyes and kissed back, letting herself fall into Jasper’s arms.

“Hold me tighter.” She sighed.

“I’m not gonna crush you.” Jasper said, firmly, and Pearl grumbled a little, letting go of the big girl. She dropped her bathrobe and got into the pool again, nodding at her to follow. Jasper took her bathrobe off as well and plunged in, swimming towards her.

“Why won’t you let me – just once – tell you what to do?” Pearl asked, caressing the big girl’s arms. “Why do you think I’ll break so easily?”

“I don’t know.” Jasper answered, pulling her closer. “As long as we’re being honest here, the idea of hurting you scares me.”

“I appreciate that.” Pearl kissed her neck softly, sending shivers down her spine. Pearl was a good kisser. “But I really really just want you to let go.”

“What makes you think I’m that wild in the first place?” Jasper chuckled, caressing her cheeks.

“Because every time we’ve been together, you looked like you were holding back.” Pearl sighed. “Don’t do that, don’t hold back. I can take it.”

Jasper bent down to kiss her collarbone and Pearl leant back against the rocky ledge, closing her eyes in pleasure as the big girl held her skin between her teeth. She dug her fingernails into her hands as Jasper bit harder, feeling shocks of pleasure move through her body.

“I can take it…” She whispered. “So do it hard.”

Jasper moved up to her neck and Pearl trembled under the occasional nibbles, knowing this was exactly what she had asked for. She moaned softly, giving herself over completely, feeling every sense of control slipping away. Jasper pushed her onto the rocky ledge and made her lean backwards, moving between her legs and caressing her folds with her hand. Pearl bit her lip, hoping the image would turn Jasper on, but it wasn’t exactly necessary. Jasper felt her own need grow stronger as she helped Pearl reach her pleasure, and she dived down to catch her final throws with her tongue. Pearl whimpered and pushed against Jasper, coming to an overwhelming release. She slid back into the water, next to the big girl and smiled, leaning her head on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Pearl.” Jasper moved her hand between her own thighs. “I don’t think I can hold off after this.”

“Oh no, I’m sorry.” Pearl slipped her own hand there as well. “It’s rude of me not to offer.” She pushed Jasper back against the pool wall. “To be honest, you don’t look like you need much at the moment.”

“I think I’m almost done.” Jasper sighed.

“Not entirely.” Pearl dove underwater and helped her out, making Jasper grab the pool wall tightly and groan. She felt her climax build up as she wondered how long Pearl could stay down there without oxygen. But the girl came up again as soon as she felt her release and the big girl sighed deeply, holding Pearl close to her.

“I needed that.” She muttered.

“Me too.” Pearl smiled. “Thank you for pushing me against the rocks and breaking my skin open, I mean it. I’ve never felt like this before.

“You’re a fucking psycho.” Jasper chuckled. “But if it works for you, it’s fine… To be honest, seeing you like that turns me on too…”

“Take it as it comes, dear.” Pearl winked at her. “I’m all yours.”

Jasper kissed her, feeling her entire body quiver. Whenever they were together, both of them tried to act stronger than the other, but the big girl realized they were equally weak for each other. She didn’t know if that was a good thing; their time together was so intense that it left little space for the basic questions like wondering if they were being rational. But to be honest, Jasper already knew the answer to that one.

As they each returned to their own rooms, Pearl also felt the weight of the conflict they had. She sighed and got into bed, wondering why Jinju wasn’t there. But she felt so tired that she didn’t give it another thought and fell asleep almost at once, a smile on her lips. Even though it was dangerous, being with Jasper gave her a form of happiness she had never felt before. And she was grateful for that.

 

*                     *                     *

 

Jinju contained a sob as she slid down the wall of the swimming-pool complex. She was clutching her mouth with one hand and held her phone tightly in the other. The pictures on there were perfect evidence for what her mother wanted to know, but she couldn’t just send them… what kind of monster would do that? But then again, if she didn’t bring her mother any evidence of Pearl and Jasper’s relationship, what would happen to her?

Jinju buried her face in her knees, trying to subdue her crying. All Pearl seemed to care about was Jasper, but that wasn’t enough to betray her like that! She was her best friend, how could her mother ask her to do such a thing? Pearl would never speak to her again… But on the other hand, Yellow would send her away…

“I don’t have to send them today.” Jinju said, in a shaky voice. “I can wait a bit, at least until I know for sure what I can and can’t do.”

                              

_"I like your sweater."_

 

And she stood up, walking slowly back to the suite. As she went in, she found Akoya reading on one of the sofas and she smiled. The blue-haired girl looked up.

“Just where have you been?” She asked.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Jinju muttered.

“Me neither.” Akoya sighed. “So I came here to read.”

“Can I join you?” Jinju walked towards her and Akoya moved aside with a smile. She sat down next to her and curled up, laying her head on her lap.

“Is life hard?” Akoya put her book down and caressed her hair. Jinju nodded and closed her eyes, allowing the blue-haired girl to keep running her fingers through her locks.

“I just hate choosing.” Jinju whispered. “Don’t you?”

“You don’t have to tell me. I can’t even decide between bagels.” Akoya smiled a little. “But I don’t think you’re talking about food.”

“No, ew…” Jinju muttered. “I just don’t know what to do. I have to choose between two really bad things.”

“Is there something you should tell me?” Akoya asked, pinching her cheek gently.

“I can’t.” Jinju sighed.

“Maybe you should choose whichever hurts you the least.” Akoya suggested.

Jinju nodded.

“Maybe.” She sighed. It was all pretty clear at that point. Hurting her best friend wasn’t an option… She looked up at Akoya. “Ako…” She whispered.

“Yes?” Akoya asked, softly.

“Give me a kiss.” Jinju smiled.

“Why now?” Akoya mumbled, showing discomfort on her face.

“I want to know how it feels like… after all this time.” Jinju smiled.

“Just don’t tell everyone I’m the one begging again…” Akoya growled, poking Jinju in the cheek.

“Don’t tell everyone about my Eating Disorder.” Jinju muttered.

“It saved your life though.” Akoya said.

“I also saved yours, by telling my friends to hush it up.” Jinju explained, waving it away with her hand. “So we’re both not perfect, big deal. This is behind us. We can be friends.”

“Asking me to kiss you isn’t friendship, though.” Akoya leaned in and brushed her lips with her own, catching Jinju by surprise. For some time, she lingered there and then she got up slowly. “But I won’t pretend I never think about it either. You know I do.”

Jinju sat up, cheeks burning. Akoya smiled and got up, in order to draw the curtains. For a moment she stood in front of the window, staring at Jinju’s bewildered face in the reflection. Then, she closed the curtains.

It was snowing.

 

 **BONUS !!!!!!! AMAZING FANART FROM THE FUNDRAISER SCENE BY[ @HAELZASDRAWINGS](https://haelzasdrawings.tumblr.com)**  ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Thank you so much for taking the time to make such an amazing art! 

 

… to be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT CHAPTER: School Trip Part 3: Battle of the Betrayed.

**Author's Note:**

> Next Chapter:
> 
> CHAPTER ONE - Noble Conflict
> 
> Amethyst and the gang arrive at the Assembly Hall. The day is crowned with new arrivals, like the chairwomen: Pink, Blue and Yellow Diamond and their respective daughters: Pearl, Akoya (Blue Pearl), Lapis, Sapphire and Jinju (Yellow Pearl).
> 
> Stay tuned!!!


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